Illustrative stock photo (source: Sme)
“We’re discussing the dates ... everything is being subjected to analyses and discussions,” said Speaker of Parliament Peter Pellegrini, as quoted by the TASR newswire.
If technically possible, March 12 is also an option, he added.
“But I think it’s more likely either March 5 or February 27,” Pellegrini claimed.
Meanwhile, parliament appointed the new State Commission for Elections and Funding of Political Parties which officially began its work on August 25 with its members taking an oath before Pellegrini.
The commission will be an independent body to supervise elections and will also have the power to impose fines if the rules for campaigning and/or funding of parties are violated. The commission, however, failed to say what exactly they will check, the public-service broadcaster RTVS reported.
“It is a step forward that will boost political culture, as this commission will have real powers, as opposed to previous electoral commissions that were essentially toothless,” said Interior Minister Robert Kaliňák, as quoted by RTVS, adding that we can expect several important decisions from the commission.
The commission has 14 members, of which 10 have been nominated by parliamentary parties with an even distribution between the ruling Smer party and the opposition.
Smer has nominated lawyer Ivana Remšíková, economist Miloš Kollár, lawyer Mojmír Mamojka, HR manager Tatiana Janečková, and lawyer Peter Repák. The Ordinary People and Independent Personalities (OĽaNO) movement has nominated Eva Kováčechová, a lawyer cooperating with the Via Iuris legal think tank, the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) has picked its former MP and expert on public administration Jozef Šimko, while Most-Híd has nominated lawyer Karol Nagy, Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) lawyer Andrej Pitoňák, and the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKÚ) member of the party court Bystrík Žák.
The Supreme Audit Office (NKÚ) has nominated general director of its financial and tax section Juraj Kolarovič, General Prosecutor Jaromír Čižnár has nominated his deputy Jozef Szabó, Constitutional Court President Ivetta Macejková has put forward former court vice-chair Eduard Bárány, and Supreme Court President Daniela Švecová has nominated Vladimír Hiadlovský, rector of Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica, TASR wrote.
Each member will receive €1,200. They will have to check the reports submitted by the political parties or candidates, which will then be scrutinised also by independent auditors. The commission should monitor not only the financial limits on the campaigns, but also moratoriums, RTVS reported.
