THE SLOVAK government's proposal to limit the immunity of MPs and judges was passed by parliament to its second reading on today, August 11. Apart from the 79 votes of the ruling coalition MPs, it won the support of two MPs from the opposition Slovak National Party (SNS), Anna Belousovová and former construction minister Igor Štefanov. Deputies for the largest opposition party, Smer, did not support the proposal, the SITA newswire reported.
The proposed amendment should limit the immunity of MPs to statements and votes in parliament, and would do away with the requirement that parliament must first approve prosecutions of MPs. It would limit judges’ immunity in a similar way.
The amendment maintains the requirement that parliament or the Constitutional Court must approve the detention of an MP, a judge, or the general prosecutor.
Smer MP and former speaker of parliament Pavol Paška proposed that the debate on immunity limits be postponed until September, arguing that it was submitted before the government had won the confidence of parliament (which it did on Tuesday, August 10). However, Paška’s proposal did not win support in parliament, SITA reported.
The second reading will be followed by a final vote which will require the support of at least 90 MPs to become law, as the amendment will change a constitutional law. Smer, whose votes are thus necessary for the limits to be passed, has suggested it might support the proposal if it only deals with MPs’ immunity and not judges’.
Source: SITA
Compiled by Michaela Stanková from press reports
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