THE MOVEMENT for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) will not back a minority cabinet headed by PM Mikuláš Dzurinda and will try to hold a vote of no confidence in the cabinet after talks with other political parties.
Leading HZDS members said at the January 17 meeting that they hope to agree with other opposition parties in parliament and the independent MPs about the recall of the Dzurinda cabinet. If so, the HZDS is prepared to set up a new government, wrote the Slovak daily Pravda.
The Slovak cabinet is in trouble after former defence minister Ivan Šimko and six other MPs left Dzurinda's Slovak Democratic and Christian Union to form the Free Forum. This splinter party is now demanding Dzurinda's replacement in exchange for the support of the cabinet.
Following the meeting of the ruling New Citizen's Alliance, party chairman Pavol Rusko said that Dzurinda and Šimko were responsible for the situation and "must carry the responsibility" for its results.
Speaker of parliament Pavol Hrušovský, who is also the head of the ruling Christian Democratic Movement, said he did not think a minority cabinet could last long and appealed to Dzurinda and Šimko to find a compromise.
Compiled by Martina Pisárová from press reports
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