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Sulik: Radicova Should Take More Interest in SDKU Financing Instead

Bratislava, August 6 (TASR) - Parliamentary Speaker and Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) chairman Richard Sulik on Friday responded to criticism from Prime Minister and SDKU-DS vice-chair Iveta Radicova by recommending that she should take more interest in how her own party is financed. "There are far more question marks raised there than in the case of the clean, transparent… read more

Galko: I Suspect That Somebody Has Misused Military Intelligence

Bratislava, August 6 (TASR) - There is a very serious suspicion that somebody has misused the Military Intelligence Service (VSS), Defence Minister Lubomir Galko (Freedom and Solidarity/SaS) said following a session of the parliamentary committee in charge of supervising military intelligence on Friday. The session saw a discussion on security clearance for the newly-appointed… read more

Radicova: SaS Abusing Public Finances When Setting Up MPs Offices

Bratislava, August 6 (TASR) - Using taxpayers' money to pay for other MPs' offices in Bratislava, sometimes in houses that the MPs directly own, even though they already have offices close to Parliament, is preposterous and absurd, said Prime Minister Iveta Radicova (SDKU-DS) in a statement provided to TASR by her spokesman Rado Bato. "This is an unequivocal abuse of… read more

Slota Gets Big Hand in Parliament for Proposing That Debate Be Cut Short

Bratislava, August 6 (TASR) - Opposition Slovak National Party (SNS) chairman Jan Slota, taking the floor in Parliament on Friday during the pre-vote debate on the Government Manifesto, proposed that lawmakers should cut the ongoing session short as everybody is just wasting their time. "We're well aware that as long as you have a majority you'll have your government… read more

Zitnanska: Justice Sector Dominated by Dubious Group of People

Bratislava, August 6 (TASR) - Justice Minister Lucia Zitnanska (SDKU-DS), addressing Parliament on Friday as part of the pre-vote debate on the Government Manifesto, accused the former government of allowing a dubious group of people to gain almost uncheckable control of her sector. This group of people is exploiting its position, she said. "It's acting as if it weren't… read more

Dzurinda Conveys Govt Desire for Papal Visit in 2012

Bratislava, August 5 (TASR) - Foreign Affairs Minister Mikulas Dzurinda has declared Government's desire to have Pope Benedict XVI's arrive for an apostolic visit to Slovakia in 2012, at a meeting with apostle's nuncio to Slovakia Mario Giordano, the ministry reported to TASR on Thursday. Since being elected the Catholic church's 265th pope in 2005 the pontiff has not… read more

Fico Castigates Defence Minister Over Appointment of VSS Chief

Bratislava, August 5 (TASR) - Former premier Robert Fico harshly criticised Defence Minister Lubomir Galko on Thursday for denting Slovakia's credibility as a NATO-member state by putting at the helm of the country's military intelligence service (VSS) a person who doesn't hold reliable security clearance. Extrapolating from the info obtained, Fico stated that VSS chief… read more

US Ambassador-designate Theodore Sedgwick Hands In His Credentials

Bratislava, August 5 (TASR) - US Ambassador-designate Theodore Sedgwick on Thursday handed his credentials to Foreign Affairs Ministry State Secretary Milan Jezovica, TASR has learnt. Both officials concurred on the need to deepen Slovak-American cooperation, in economy in particular - including various projects designed to facilitate transfer of high-tech technologies… read more

Miklos Considering Filing Court Complaint Against Harabin

Bratislava, August 5 (TASR) - Finance Minister Ivan Miklos said on Thursday that he believes that Supreme Court chairman Stefan Harabin is abusing public office by obstructing a ministerial audit at the Court and that he's having the legal grounds for filing a criminal complaint against him examined. Harabin has been refusing to allow Finance Ministry officials to audit… read more

Fico: Sulik Disgraces Post of Parliamentary Chairman

Bratislava, August 4 (TASR) - Parliamentary Chairman Richard Sulik (Freedom and Solidarity/SaS) is a disgrace to his post of the second highest constitutional authority, said Smer-SD chairman Robert Fico at a press conference on Wednesday, speaking in reaction to Sulik's speech in Parliament earlier in the day. "We were expecting a relevant speech of a statesman on the… read more

Transport Minister Figel Presents Plans for Tourism

Bratislava, August 4 (TASR) - Transport, Posts and Telecoms Minister Jan Figel on Wednesday announced his plans for Slovak tourism, which he plans to bring under his authority from the Economy Ministry via an amendment to the Competences Act. A set of measures that the minister wants to take to prop up the long-neglected sector includes an amendment to the Tourism Act,… read more

Harabin Stands Pat on Independent Audit at Supreme Court

Bratislava, August 4 (TASR) - The Supreme Court insists that an independent audit of its economic performance should be carried out rather than one by the Finance Ministry, Court head Stefan Harabin said in a statement on Wednesday. "We have nothing to hide, the first contracts from the period since I became the Court's chairman are already available on the internet,"… read more

Most-Hid: Manifesto Good, Though Not Perfect

Bratislava, August 4 (TASR) - The parliamentary caucus of the co-governing Most-Hid party regards the Government Manifesto as good though not perfect, but what matters most is that it stems from agreement, Most-Hid caucus chairman Laszlo Solymos said in Parliament on Wednesday. "I believe that all essential programme objectives that we seek to attain have been included… read more

Hrusovsky: Evil and Unfairness Must Be Called by Their True Names

Bratislava, August 4 (TASR) - Politicians who don't behave honestly and even act illegally in certain cases, seemingly above the law, also enjoy a certain amount of support in Slovakia, said Parliamentary Vice-chairman Pavol Hrusovsky (Christian Democratic Movement/KDH) during the debate on the Government Manifesto on Wednesday. "Honest behaviour in the political and… read more

Fourth Attempt to Carry Out Audit of Supreme Court Fails

Bratislava, August 4 (TASR) - Not even the Finance Ministry's fourth attempt to carry out a government audit at the Supreme Court has met with any success, Finance Minister Ivan Miklos confirmed on Wednesday. Administrative proceedings are underway at the moment, with Supreme Court Chairman Stefan Harabin given three days to allow an inspection to take place. "If… read more