ALMOST 80 percent of people think that an MP who leaves the party with which they were elected to parliament should hand back the mandate to the party and leave parliament, an MVK agency for the daily SME found.
However, the Slovak constitution allows MPs to switch parties or become independents.
Of seven parties in parliament only three have maintained their original number of MPs (Hungarian Coalition Party, Christina Democratic Party, and Smer). Three years after elections 24 MPs have left their parties and become independent.
Several such MPs have even established their own parties after they left the parties with which they were elected into the parliament. Therefore, there are parties in parliament now that did not exist at the last elections.
According to political scientist Miroslav Kusý this is a consequence of "political crises" and "a result of lobbying and corruption affairs". However, Kusý pointed out that banning MPs leaving their mother parties would stop MPs from following their individual consciences. He said that "stable political relations in the political culture and in the parliament could help”.
Compiled by Marta Ďurianová from press reports
TheSlovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the informationpresented in its Flash News postings.
