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INEKO: SDKU Has Best Election Programme in Healthcare, HZDS Worst

Bratislava, May 28 (TASR) - Healthcare experts at the Institute for Economic and Social Reforms (INEKO) have worked out an assessment report concerning how contributive the election programmes of selected parties are in terms of the health sector. The best marks were given to the opposition SDKU-DS party's programme, way ahead of those presented by other opposition parties… read more

Smer: Our Campaign Isn\'t Aggressive, But True

Bratislava, May 28 (TASR) - "Smer-SD's campaign isn't aggressive, but true, and the truth is hard sometimes," said Smer spokesperson Katarina Klizanova Rysova in response to SDKU-DS election leader Iveta Radicova's criticism of her party's new billboard campaign. "On the other hand, it's hypocritical when a party that has set up a webpage called www.ukradli.sk (they stole)… read more

SDKU: New Smer Billboards Offend Our Voters

Bratislava, May 28 (TASR) - The new billboard campaign of the governing Smer-SD party insults SDKU-DS voters, said SDKU election leader Iveta Radicova at a press conference in Bratislava on Friday. Radicova said this in reaction to Smer billboards that have appeared this week, with slogans such as: "They robbed the disabled, they'll do it again," "They stopped the (construction… read more

Figel Rejects Fico\'s Accusations of Shady Land Deals

Bratislava, May 27 (TASR) - The opposition Christian Democrats (KDH) on Thursday repudiated Premier and Smer-SD chief Robert Fico's accusations of having helped to rob the Bratislava city of €1.4 million via disadvantageous sales in 2005 as lies which Fico tells since KDH has refused post-election co-operation with his party. Fico said earlier on Thursday that he has… read more

Czech Analyst: Orban Designed Controversial Bill for Domestic Politics

Bratislava, May 27 (TASR) - Hungarian Premier-to-be Viktor Orban (Fidesz) had the law on dual citizenship passed by the Hungarian Parliament mainly with domestic politics in mind, Czech political analyst Lubomir Kopecek from Masaryk University's Faculty of Social Studies in Brno told TASR on Thursday. "I don't think that the main purpose of the bill is to influence the… read more

European Union: We Can\'t Intervene in Citizenship Dispute

Brussels, May 27 (TASR) - The European Union said on Thursday that it won't intervene in the dispute between its two members Slovakia and Hungary after the latter earlier this week passed an amendment easing the conditions for acquiring Hungarian citizenship. The Union, according to European Commission spokesman Matthew Newman, lacks powers that could settle the issue… read more

Hanzel Withdraws Criminal Complaint Concerning Threatening E-mail

Bratislava, May 27 (TASR) - Businessman and former Smer-SD MP Bohumil Hanzel, who has alleged that Smer traded official state posts in return for sponsor money, has withdrawn a criminal complaint that he submitted on Tuesday concerning a threat sent to him by an e-mail. Hanzel withdrew the complaint after former Slovak parliamentary vice-chair Jan Majer confessed that… read more

Dzurinda Wants to Repeal State Citizenship Amendment after Election

Bratislava, May 26 (TASR) - SDKU-DS Chairman Mikulas Dzurinda will attempt to repeal the amendment to the Slovak State Citizenship Act passed by the Parliament on Wednesday if SDKU-DS becomes part of the government after the June 12 parliamentary elections. SDKU-DS representatives hold an opinion that it's better to reject the Hungarian Law on Dual Citizenship. Dzurinda's… read more

Fico: If SMK MPs Acquire Hungarian Citizenship, They\'ll Lose MP Seats

Bratislava, May 26 (TASR) - If a Slovak MP wants to pledge allegiance to another state, he or she has no right to represent people in the Slovak Parliament, Slovak Premier Robert Fico said on Wednesday in response to the question whether Smer-SD rules out the ethnic-Hungarian SMK party as a potential future coalition partner. "If SMK MPs accept the Hungarian citizenship,… read more

Brno: Czech President Klaus Concerned about Dual Citizenship Issue

Prague, May 26 (TASR-correspondent) - In a discussion with Slovak ambassador to Prague Peter Brno on Tuesday, Czech President Vaclav Klaus expressed serious concerns about the development caused by the Hungarian Parliament's decision to adopt the amendment on dual citizenship. "He (Klaus) demonstrated his solidarity with the steps taken by the Slovak side," Brno told… read more

Slovak Parliament Adopts State Citizenship Amendment

Bratislava, May 26 (TASR) - As of July 17, Slovak citizens will lose their citizenship in two cases - if they willingly decide to give it up or if they apply for the citizenship of another country, according to an amendment to the State Citizenship Act that was approved by Parliament on Wednesday with 90 votes out of the 115 MPs present in the House. In the final vote… read more

Dzurinda: New Minority May Emerge; Slota: Send Them Home

Bratislava May 26 (TASR) - According to chairman of the opposition SDKU-DS party Mikulas Dzurinda, the passing of the proposed amendment to the State Citizenship Act by the Slovak Parliament (in response to similar legislation adopted in Hungary) is likely to create a new minority in Slovakia - people who live in the country but are exclusively holders of Hungarian citizenship.… read more

Government Passes State Citizenship Amendment

Bratislava, May 26 (TASR) - As of July 17, Slovak citizens will lose their citizenship in two cases - if they willingly decide to give it up or if they apply for the citizenship of another country, according to an amendment to the State Citizenship Act proposed by Prime Minister Robert Fico and approved at the Government session on Wednesday. The amendment proposal comes… read more

Vollebaek: Consultation Needed Before Passing Law on Dual Citizenship

The Hague, May 25 (TASR) - Granting citizenship to a person on any other criterion than one's residency is grounds for political tension between countries, OSCE High Commissioner for Minorities Knut Vollebaek said following his meeting with Slovak Foreign Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajcak in The Hague on Tuesday. "I warned countries about granting citizenship on ethnic,… read more

Hanzel Files Criminal Complaint Concerning Threatening Email

Bratislava, May 25 (TASR) - Businessman and former Smer-SD MP Bohumil Hanzel, who recently went public with allegations of shady financing practices in the past of now-strongest Smer-SD party, on Tuesday filed a criminal complaint to the Prosecutor's Office vis-a-vis an email he received in which someone threatened him with death. Hanzel said he was confident that the… read more