THE PLAN of the Free Forum (SF) party to create a new coalition by joining with the ruling Christian Democrats (KDH) and the Hungarian Coalition Party (SMK) to demand the prime ministerial seat has been rejected and the minority government will continue to look for support for cabinet laws among independent MPs and those who have quit the ruling parties.
At an April 28 meeting with the SMK, KDH, and another coalition party, the New Citizen's Alliance (ANO), the SF, which consists of six former members of PM Mikuláš Dzurinda's Slovak Democratic and Christian Union and one former ANO member, said that the new bloc would have 42 MPs and would demand that KDH chairman Pavol Hrušovský replace Dzurinda.
That plan, however, was immediately refused by the KDH. Dzurinda later told journalists that it was not even worth commenting on.
The four ruling parties later met to discuss regaining a majority in parliament. The coalition currently has 68 MPs, eight short of a parliamentary majority.
The coalition agreed to amend its treaty with a clause, proposed by the SMK, that important issues regarding reforms and the state budget be approved in a consensus of all ruling partners, the Slovak daily SME wrote.
Compiled by Martina Pisárová from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
