Non-parliamentary left-wing parties, the Democratic Left (SDL) and Social-Democratic Alternative (SDA), will likely merge with SMER, the news agency SITA wrote. Both hope to join Robert Fico’s opposition party by the end of the year.
"SMER and SDL express a political will to unite at the regional and national levels into a single political entity," SDL leader Lubomir Petrak told a news conference Sunday.
The SDA governing council also charged its party leadership with negotiating a merger with SMER.
However, both the SDL and SDA governing councils recommended further congressional discussion to decide on the merger. SDA Chairman Milan Ftacnik stressed that his party will consider all the alternatives.
The SDA will hold its congress November 27, followed by the SDL December 4. SMER is scheduled to hold its own congress December 11. The goal of SMER’s congress will be to unify its values with the SDL and SDA, said SMER’s boss, Fico.
Fico quit the SDL in 1999 after disagreement with the party leadership. As Fico does not hold the current SDL leadership responsible for his departure, he supports a merger.
Party representatives have not yet agreed where the united party would reside if the merger goes through.
Compiled by Martina Jurinová from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
