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Gasparovic to Entrust Election Winner with Forming Cabinet

Bratislava, June 13 (TASR) - Slovak President Ivan Gasparovic told a press conference on Sunday that he will task the winner of the general election - Smer-SD party - with forming a Government. "I aim to task the election winner with forming the Government," said Gasparovic, indicating that this is the 'moral' thing to do in this situation. At the same time, he thanked… read more

Haber: HZDS Respects Election Result

Bratislava, June 13 (TASR) - LS-HZDS party, which received 4.32 percent of votes in the general election and thus failed to cross the 5-percent threshold required to get into the Parliament, respects the results, Stanislav Haber from LS-HZDS told TASR on Sunday. Haber also thanked all the people who voted for LS-HZDS. "We're sorry to say that Slovakia has chosen a path… read more

SMK\'s Top Officials Step Down, Party Congress Due in September

Bratislava, June 13 (TASR) - Ethnic-Hungarian SMK party chairman Pal Csaky announced on Sunday morning that the party's entire leadership is stepping down over SMK's poor result in the general election, TASR learnt on the same day. In line with unofficial results of Saturday's general election, SMK received a mere 4.33 percent of votes, failing to break the 5-percent… read more

SNS Didn\'t Win in Any Region, Not Even in its Stronghold Zilina

Bratislava, June 13 (TASR) - The Slovak National Party (SNS), which, according to the unofficial results, gained 5.07 percent in the general election on Saturday, made it to the Parliament by a whisker. The party doesn't head the table of political subjects in any region, not even in Zilina region, which is traditionally viewed as an SNS stronghold. SNS was beaten in… read more

SMK Apparently Out of Parliament, Party Headquarters Falls Silent

Bratislava, June 13 (TASR) - The campaign headquarters of the ethnic-Hungarian SMK was dispeopling on Sunday early morning after the party learnt shockingly low preliminary election results that wouldn't let it into Parliament. Most party representatives shut themselves in the entrails of the headquarters waiting for the final results. The threshold to be reached… read more

Slovaks Voting in General Election 2010 Since 7 a.m.

Bratislava, June 12 (TASR) - The general election has begun as of 7 a.m. on Saturday. Some 4.3 million eligible voters are about to decide from among 18 running political parties who will make up the 150-member Parliament for the next four years. In total, 2,366 MP candidates are running in the election. According to law, every Slovak citizen who turned 18 by the election… read more

Radicova Calls on Parties to Abandon Dirty Tricks in Election Campaign

Bratislava, June 11 (TASR) - Opposition SDKU-DS election leader Iveta Radicova on Friday called for all political parties to abandon unfair practices in the election campaign. Radicova appeared before reporters after Prime Minister Robert Fico's (Smer-SD) press conference, during which he claimed that an absolutely illegal campaign aimed at scandalising Smer is currently… read more

President Warns of Tough Times Ahead and Urges Slovaks to Go to Polls

Bratislava, June 10 (TASR) - Days away from a general election on June 12, President Ivan Gasparovic appealed to people to exercise their civic right to vote as Slovakia is experiencing politically strained times – without specifying what he envisages. "We are facing hard times, so I am urging you to vote. Your vote will be not only be one for politicians but also an… read more

Orban Declares Support for SMK at Meeting with Csaky in Esztergom

Esztergom, Hungary, June 10 (TASR) - Hungarian Civic Union (FIDESZ) Chairman and PM Viktor Orban on Thursday declared his support for the parliamentary Hungarian Coalition Party (SMK) in Slovakia's imminent election, highlighting his ever-widening rift from SMK splinter group Most-Hid, which also claims to represent Hungarians in Slovakia but has stronger pro-integration leanings.… read more

Farmers Without Insurance Eligible Only for Half of Compensation Packs

Bratislava, June 10 (TASR) - Uninsured farmers affected by the recent floods will be eligible only for half the level of compensation of those with insurance, according to the new Act on Providing Subsidies to Compensate for Losses Caused by Adverse Meteorological Incidents passed by Parliament on Thursday. Only farmers who have suffered flood damage exceeding €2,000… read more

Flood Victims to Get €4 Million from Political Parties

Bratislava, June 10 (TASR) - People affected by the extensive floods in recent weeks will receive approximately €4 million from political parties, according to the amendment on the Act on Parliamentary Elections and the Act on Political Parties and Movements passed by Parliament at its extraordinary session on Thursday. Parties that gain more than 3-percent support… read more

Survey: Smer-SD Would Win Election, With SaS Runner-Up

Bratislava, June 10 (TASR) - If a parliamentary election had been held June 1-7, Smer-SD would have won on 29.5 percent of votes, followed by the Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party on 12.4 percent and SDKU-DS on 12.1 percent, says the survey carried out by the Focus agency on a sample of 1,006 respondents. According to the survey, 14.4 percent of respondents were not… read more

Fico Files Criminal Complaint Over Smer Funding Recording

Bratislava, June 10 (TASR) - Prime Minister and Smer-SD party chairman Robert Fico on Thursday filed a criminal complaint with the Prosecutor-General's Office over a voice recording that allegedly attests to Smer's illicit funding, TASR learnt when Fico left the Prosecutor General's Office on the same day. Fico was referring to a voice recording that allegedly features… read more

Lipsic: KDH Has Proof of Smer\'s Illicit Funding

Bratislava, June 10 (TASR) - Opposition Christian Democrats (KDH) vice-chairman Daniel Lipsic said in a parliamentary debate on Thursday that he has specific proof attesting to the illicit funding of the leading coalition Smer-SD party, TASR learnt on the same day. "I received an audio recording yesterday (Wednesday) that confirms Smer's illegal financing," said Lipsic.… read more

SaS Representatives Turning In Petition Calling for Referendum

Bratislava, June 9 (TASR) - Representatives of the Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party handed over the petition containing 401,108 signatures calling for a referendum at a rally Wednesday in front of Presidential Palace that attracted a sparse crowd of about 100 people. "I expect the President (Ivan Gasparovic) to proceed in accordance with the Constitution and not have… read more