BRATISLAVA, March 14, (WEBNOVINY) — Both MOST-HID as well as Ordinary People and Independent Personalities (OLaNO) led by Igor Matovic are interested in filling the position of deputy speaker of parliament. Election winner SMER-SD is going to offer two deputy speaker positions to the parliamentary opposition, while KDH will probably have one of them. Parliamentary mathematics says that the other should be given to the party of Igor Matovic (OLaNO), as it will be the second strongest opposition party; however, the other two opposition parties are reserved. If MOST-HID will have an opportunity to nominate its own deputy speaker, it will be party chairman Bela Bugar, Laszlo Solymos, who was chairing party’s deputy club in the previous election term, told SITA news agency.
Solymos did not directly say whether MOST-HID would respect a potential nomination of Igor Matovic’s party. “I think that there should be a person that is acquainted with it,” he noted. Parliamentary parties will discuss filling of positions on Thursday. Matovic emphasized that the other deputy speaker seat should be given to Ordinary People and only in case they are not interested in it, MOST-HID can claim it. “We will not certainly leave it to MOST-HID only because it wants it,” he said. Matovic himself is not interested in the post; however, he has somebody from his new caucus who would be able to respectably hold it.
KDH Chairman Jan Figel said he is ready to discuss personnel nominations in Parliament so that activities of the opposition would be able to join views on SMER’s policy. “Parliament should strive from the very beginning not only for higher political culture but also for proportionalism and responsibility in decision making and actions,” he told SITA. According to Figel, Bugar is not only an experienced leader but also deputy speaker of parliament. “Everybody, who perceives Parliament in Slovakia, can imagine his service in the post, his contribution to culture and effectiveness of sessions of this important state body. I have been communicating with Bugar for years. This communication has been correct and beneficial for Slovakia. My experience from cooperation with Bugar is positive,” he stated.
Chairman of the SDKU-DS deputy club Jozef Mikus reminded that occupation of the positions will depend mainly on what seats SMER-SD will leave for the opposition. He respects that KDH as the strongest opposition party will claim the most important post which the opposition will be given. The question is whether Social Democrats will give the opposition one or two positions of parliament’s deputy speaker. Mikus will go to the meeting with SDKU Chairman Mikulas Dzurinda and Deputy Chairwoman Lucia Zitnanska. He said that the party has not been talking about distribution of positions in the opposition yet.
Solymos did not want to speculate about what parliamentary committees MOST-HID will be interested in. Matovic took a similar stance and confirmed that Ordinary People are interested in chairman positions in committees. Solymos will go to the meeting with Chairman Bela Bugar and outgoing Agriculture Minister Zsolt Simon.
SaS party did not want to disclose their preferences before the meeting. “We will not provide any statements before Thursday’s meeting,” stated spokeswoman for the party Tatiana Tothova. She only said that SaS Chairman Richard Sulik and Deputy Chairmen Juraj Miskov and Jozef Mihal will go to the meeting.
SITA