Igor Štefanov, a former minister of construction and regional development and current MP from the Slovak National Party (SNS), will not be a candidate on the SNS slate in March 2012, SNS chairman Ján Slota told the TASR newswire on November 23.
"As for the drafting of our party slate, there is one change due to Mr. Štefanov making a decision that he won't run in the general election any more," Slota said. When asked what led Štefanov to make that decision Slota replied that it was "personal reasons" ... and "we have accepted that" but refused to provide further details.
Slota added that there will be no surprises on the party slate, with current MPs taking the top places and Slota being listed first. Two MPs from 2010, Anna Belasouvová and Rudolf Pučík have left SNS and will run on their own Nation and Justice party.
In March 2011, Slovak police asked the General Prosecutor's Office to submit a proposal to strip Igor Štefanov of his MP's immunity so that he could be prosecuted in the so-called bulletin-board tender in which firms close to SNS reportedly received lucrative contracts after the tender was announced only on the bulletin board in the ministry building.
Acting General Prosecutor Ladislav Tichý refused to seek removal of Štefanov’s immunity in May and returned the case back to the police.
Source: 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.
