SEVERAL people set to run in the March 15 presidential elections have submitted petitions with the necessary number of signatures on January 7.
Pavol Hrušovský, MP for the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH), was backed by 17,458 people and 30 MPs, the TASR newswire reported.
“It was not easy to collect enough signatures for the petition to fulfil the number set by the constitution and the law,” Hrušovský said, as quoted by TASR.
Hrušovský is joint candidate of the People’s Platform, which unites the KDH, the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKÚ) and Most-Híd. His candidacy was also supported by MP for Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) Jozef Mihál and independent deputy Alojz Hlina.
Hrušovský thanked the leaders of People’s Platform for their support and said that his promises will not be only empty gestures.
“I do not want to betray your trust not the trust of voters of your parties,” he said, as quoted by TASR.
On the same day also KDH co-founder Ján Čarnogurský submitted the petition with more than 24,000 signatures. Also civic candidate Jozef Behýl saw his candidacy confirmed, the leader of his petition team Zuzana Solieri Polcerová told TASR, without specifying how many signatures they collected.
The list of presidential candidates also includes the entrepreneur and philanthropist Andrej Kiska; former Christian Democrat (KDH) now Independent MP Radoslav Procházka; Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) MP Peter Osuský; actor-turned-politician Milan Kňažko, party vice-chairman of the Party of Hungarian Community (SMK) Gyula Bárdos; and Prime Minister Robert Fico as Smer’s nominee.
Other people who have announced their bids are Milan Melník, Stanislav Martincko, János Bosza and Ľubica Blašková; mayor of Rimavská Sobota Jozef Šimko; and prominent heart surgeon Viliam Fischer, TASR reported.
All candidates willing to run in March 15 presidential elections have to submit either 15,000 signatures from people or 15 signatures from MPs. The deadline for submitting the signatures to the parliament is January 9.
So far Fico, Kiska and Osuský have submitted the signatures. Procházka is expected to submit the petitions with signatures on January 7.
Source: TASR, SITA
Compiled by Radka Minarechová from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
