Justice Minister Lucia Žitňanská (Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKÚ)) stated in parliament on Wednesday, March 23, that refusing to recognise a general prosecutor selected by parliament in a public vote would represent an outrageous disregard for democratic rules.
She was responding to opposition leader Robert Fico (Smer), who on Tuesday announced that his party, if it were to enter government after the next general election, would not acknowledge a general prosecutor selected via a public vote in parliament. Previous votes to select the general prosecutor have been held in secret. Žitňanská said Fico’s statement is threatening and represents blackmail.
The justice minister argued that a public vote in a parliamentary democracy is one way for voters to observe how their elected representatives use the mandate they have been given. "Therefore I consider an open vote an absolutely democratic tool and it is up to deputies whether they opt for an open or secret vote," she said, as reported by the SITA newswire. Žitňanská added that a public vote is forbidden only in instances stipulated by the constitution.
Source: SITA
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
