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Gasparovic to Task Smer with Forming Cabinet
Sunday 13 June 2010 Zoom in | Print page
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. The president added that he is likely to meet with Smer chairman and current Prime Minister Robert Fico on Monday.
At the same time, Gasparovic thanked the nearly 59 percent of eligible voters who went to the polls to cast their vote, but added that the figure on the turnout is no success.
According to unofficial results announced earlier in the day, Prime Minister Robert Fico's Smer-SD party soundly won the vote on Saturday on 34.79 percent of the vote and, according to the Slovak Constitution, has up to 30 days to try and form a Government. However, the party is facing slim prospects of forming a new Cabinet, as it was outnumbered by four centrist and right-wing parties.
"Smer-SD has received the largest number of votes from people, so why would I deprive the party that has voters' utmost confidence of this right?" said the president. He added, however, the he will seek options for co-operation with any Government as long as its measures are to the benefit of people.
"I'll do all I can to make sure that the future Government won't give up socially-oriented programmes for people," asserted the president. I will also ensure that the new Cabinet sticks to the path of Slovakia's active membership in the EU and NATO, he added.
As well, Gasparovic called the low support for the Slovak National Party (5.07 percent) the biggest surprise of the vote. He added that he has also been taken aback by slim support for ethnic-Hungarian SMK party (4.33 percent) as well the unforeseen good score of the fledgling Freedom and Solidarity (SAS) party, which was backed by 12.14 percent of voters.
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