Disputes within Slovakia’s ruling coalition on April 27 obstructed parliament as lawmakers could not approve the agenda for their last-before-elections session as an insufficient number of deputies were registered for a vote, twice, the SITA newswire reported.
The Speaker of Parliament, Pavol Paška, had no other choice other than to postpone the beginning of the morning session until 14:00. The junior member of the ruling coalition, the Slovak National Party (SNS) as well as opposition lawmakers who failed to register for the vote are causing the stalemate. SNS deputies walked out of parliament after parliament refused to vote on the party’s proposal regarding the Trianon Treaty.
SNS leader Ján Slota failed with his proposal that parliament approve a resolution on the 90th anniversary of the Trianon Treaty. Slota argued that after the Fidesz party gained a constitutional majority in the future parliament of Hungary that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán wants to at least manipulate the Trianon Treaty. Slota believes that it is the duty of the Slovak parliament to take a stance on the matter.
SNS is also not satisfied that their proposed Patriotism Act was listed as the very last item on the proposed parliamentary agenda. Lawmakers did not support the proposal of SNS Deputy Chairwoman Anna Belousovová in the vote on changes to the parliamentary agenda to discuss the SNS bill right after expedited legislative procedures, as the fifth point.
Paška explained that the cabinet-approved amendment to the law on state symbols prepared by Prime Minister Robert Fico was given priority over the Patriotism Act drafted by the SNS as its content is partly identical with the SNS proposal and that parliament is to deal with Fico’s bill in fast-track legislative procedure in line with the cabinet's decision on April 26.
Belousovová protested against the action, labelling it pre-election political manipulation. She accused Fico and Smer of sidetracking the SNS proposal.
Source: SITA
Compiled by Michaela Stanková from press reports
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