The cabinet of Iveta Radičová will govern the country until elections scheduled for March 10, the four centre-right coalition parties have agreed with President Ivan Gašparovič. Nevertheless, the constitution will have to be amended to allow this to happen.
Gašparovič said the leaders of the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKÚ), Christian Democratic Movement (KDH), Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) and Most-Híd came up with the deal, which will allow him recall the government but then re-install it as an interim administration to lead the country until March 10. The constitution in its current form does not allow such an action, the Sme daily wrote on Friday, October 21. The amendment will also be supported by the opposition Smer party and its leader Robert Fico. Fico suggested changing the constitution after the four parties announced that they had reached an agreement.
SaS, whose denial of support meant that the government fell after losing a confidence vote on October 11, agreed to support the interim government. Based on the deal, SaS should, following approval of the state budget, be able to push through parliament the abolition of MPs' immunity from punishment for non-criminal offences and misdemeanours and the scrapping of so-called concessionary fees that electricity users pay to fund the public service television and radio broadcasters. SaS will also pursue passage of legislation that would allow the public to enter military forests and will see its nominee Jozef Kollár taking one of the deputy speakers' seats in parliament.
Source: Sme
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
