The spirit of pragmatism and opportunism that has overtaken the KDH, including its leading representatives, was why MPs Palko, Minárik, Mikloško, and Bauer decided to leave the party, the four said on February 21. The MPs had announced earlier in the day that they were leaving the party and its parliamentary caucus, the TASR wrote. According to the four, KDH chairman Hrušovský and his deputies Martin Fronc, Mária Sabolová and Július Brocka in particular are representative of the aforementioned party trend.
Mikloško criticised Hrušovský for his inability to take measures and make decisions. According to Minárik, the KDH chairman has failed as a leader. According to Palko, the group doesn't intend to join any existing political party, but instead plans to come up with "a real Christian-democratic alternative to KDH".
The four MPs say that they won't give up their parliamentary mandates, as according to Palko, they are the ones who have continued to pursue genuine KDH policies dating from the 1990s. The group has already informed KDH chairman Hrušovský of its decision, and soon intends to send a letter to the Speaker of parliament Pavol Paška.
The KDH has been subject to internal disputes since it went into Opposition following the last general election in 2006. Palko failed to defeat Hrušovský in a leadership election held in the summer of last year, and the four MPs have often launched initiatives and held press conferences without consulting the rest of the party first. 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.
