The opposition wants to nominate a joint candidate for the 2009 presidential elections. The leadership of the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH), the Party of the Hungarian Coalition (SMK) and the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKÚ) said on June 25 that they would not repeat the mistake they made in 2004 when they failed to agree on a single presidential candidate. Through their cooperation, the opposition also wants to see what the possibilities are for the parliamentary elections in 2010, the Pravda daily wrote. The leaders have not yet specified a candidate.
President Ivan Gašparovič, who won against the leader of the Movement for a Democratic Slovakia, Vladimír Mečiar, in 2004, has already confirmed his interest in running for the post again.
In 2004, none of the right-wing candidates made it to the second round of the presidential elections. The right-wing parties failed to agree on a common candidate. The SDKÚ nominated Eduard Kukan and the KDH and the SMK supported František Mikloško.
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
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