The MPs who will represent Slovak citizens in Slovakia's fifth parliamentary electoral term were sworn in on Thursday, July 8 in accordance with the country’s constitution, the TASR newswire wrote.
Departing Speaker of Parliament Pavol Paška (Smer) was the first to take his oath before Deputy Speaker of Parliament Miroslav Číž (Smer). He was followed by his colleagues from the strongest parliamentary party Smer, then by MPs from Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKÚ), Freedom and Solidarity (SaS), the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH), Most-Híd and the Slovak National Party(SNS).
Apart from election of a new parliamentary speaker, to be SaS chair Richard Sulík, the newly sworn-in MPs will elect four deputy speakers: Milan Hort (SDKÚ), Pavol Hrušovský (KDH) and Béla Bugár (Most-Híd). The fourth Deputy Speaker's post belongs to Smer and it will be taken by departing Prime Minister Robert Fico, who will need the support of the coalition to be elected by at least 76 votes.
Also to be decided are the chairs, vice-chairs and composition of the parliamentary committees. The coalition of four centre-right parties (SDKÚ, SaS, KDH and Most-Híd) agreed that its nominees will preside over ten committees, while the opposition will control nine. The governing parties will have a majority in all 19 committees, however.
SNS will head the human rights, minorities and women committee. Smer-SD nominees will oversee education, media, public administration, human rights, and conflicts of interest, as well as committees supervising the Slovak Intelligence Service (SIS), Military Defence Intelligence and the National Security Office (NBU).
Coalition MPs will preside over the following committees: constitutional, budgetary, economic, agriculture, social, defence and security, foreign affairs, mandate and immunity, health care, and European affairs.
Source: TASR
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
