The ruling Smer party nominated Ondrej Krajňák as a candidate to the chair of the top post of the Nation’s Memory Institute (ÚPN), which among other things administers the files of the communist-era ŠtB secret police. Krajňák currently works for the ÚPN’s Oral History department, the SITA newswire reported on February 8.
“We learned about his [Krajňák’s] present work at the institute,” said deputy chair of Smer caucus Miroslav Číz, as quoted by SITA, adding that he is an author of works about the prison camp in Jáchymov, established during the communist era, the candle manifestation, various documentary films and other works connected with the activities of ÚPN. “It seems he could be a good candidate and that the public could also accept him to an appropriate extent.”
The parliament will elect the chair of the ÚPN board for the third time. While in the previous two votes the ruling party did not have a candidate, since shortly before the second vote it withdrew its nominee Juraj Kalina. Krajňák’s rival will be Marián Gula, a candidate of the opposition People’s Platform, SITA reported.
The term of the previous chair of the ÚPN board, Ivan Petranský, ended on January 31. At the moment the ÚPN is led by August Lang.
Source: SITA
For more information about this story please see: Smer rejects its own candidate for ÚPN job
Compiled by Radka Minarechová from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
