If opposition MPs try to block the work of parliament when the coalition temporarily loses its majority while appointing MPs to executive posts, the coalition will appoint its ministers three at a time, Most-Híd chairman Béla Bugár said after a meeting on Tuesday, June 29, with the outgoing speaker, Smer nominee Pavol Paška.
Slovak MPs who are appointed to executive posts must temporarily give up their seats in parliament; if only three at a time were to do so, the government would be able to maintain its relatively narrow majority.
"It's an easy thing to do: some members of the government will return back to parliament and we'll appoint three ministers at a time. However, if the opposition adopts this blocking approach, they'll put themselves under intense media pressure. After all, if they choose to act in this way the parliament will be like a circus," Bugár told the TASR newswire.
"It's only a technical obstacle, and it will be resolved. There's no need to overestimate this issue," said fellow coalition leader Richard Sulík, chairman of Freedom and Solidarity (SaS).
Robert Fico, leader of the soon-to-be main opposition party Smer, would not confirm or deny whether the opposition would attempt to block parliament. "I wouldn't comment on what's about to happen," said Fico. However, he expressed discontent at the way parliamentary posts are being allocated, describing the approach of the emerging coalition as "arrogant".
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.
