MARIÁN Tkáč will remain head of Matica Slovenská, Slovakia’s national cultural heritage and research institution, for another four years. He received support from 254 delegates in the vote held on October 18, the SITA newswire reported.
Tkáč, who previously served as vice-chair of the National Bank of Slovakia (NBS), the country’s central bank, ran for the post against two other candidates: Igor Kovačovič, a choreographer and former deputy head of Matica Slovenská, and Roman Michelko, a former member of the Matica Slovenská committee. While Kovačovič received 143 votes, only 43 delegates supported Michelko, SITA wrote.
“I want to offer peaceful cooperation to all who were against me, but had not crossed certain border,” Tkáč said, as quoted by SITA, adding that he is not against anybody.
In addition to the new chair, delegates also elected new members of the Matica Slovenská committee, which seems to include fewer people who criticised Tkáč during his previous term.
Tkáč’s main rival, Michelko, said he hopes that Tkáč will realise it is not good to liquidate the opposition, and that one third of the delegates, who represent the 12,000 members of Matica Slovenská, did not vote for him.
Tkáč plans to summon a Matica Slovenská meeting next year, at which the number of committee members will be decreased from 38 to 24, SITA wrote.
Michelko added, in response to the planned reduction of members of the Matica Slovenská committee, that they are not leaving the organisation and want to continue their work, according to SITA.
Source: SITA
Compiled by Radka Minarechová from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
