Opposition parliamentary parties are calling on Economy Minister Ľubomír Jahnátek to resign.
Their request is a response to the minister's statements in an interview for the Trend magazine explaining the need to use ‘non-traditional forms of selling’ to secure contracts abroad.
"If he does not abdicate, we will call on the Prime Minister to recall the Economy Minister," former Prime Minister and MP for the SDKÚ Mikuláš Dzurinda said.
Economy Ministry spokesperson Branislav Zvara told the SITA news agency that they regard it as the opposition’s right to make such demands.
In response to opposition demands for his resignation, Jahnátek said on March 22 that he did not see any reason to step down. Prime Minister Robert Fico did not see any reason for resignation, either. His spokeswoman, Silvia Glendová, said that "if a cabinet member should have been recalled each time people misinterpret his or her statements based on their own preconceptions, the Prime Minister would have had to recall himself about a thousands times already."
Jahnátek openly answered the question on the Third World’s way of carrying out arms deals, she added. According to Glendová, he clearly stated that private and state-run companies have to act legally in this environment.
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
