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Gasparovic Tasks Fico With Forming New Government (UPDATE 2)
Monday 14 June 2010 Zoom in | Print page
Bratislava, June 14 (TASR) - President Ivan Gasparovic on Monday tasked election winner Smer-SD chairman Robert Fico with forming a government. In doing so, the head of state maintained the tradition that the party that wins the general election should have first chance to form a new cabinet.
Smer won the June 12 election with 34.79 percent. The rightist parties have said that they will not go into a coalition with Fico's party, however.
According to Gasparovic, it would be unfair if the election winner weren't given this task before other parties. "It wouldn't even be right if the chairman of the party with the strongest voter support didn't accept this assignment from me," he said.
Fico accepted the task, and the deadline has been set for next Wednesday, June 23. The current premier said that he will do his utmost to form a strong and stable Cabinet, possibly made up of two parties in coalition.
"I want there to be an alternative to the idea of forming a government comprising virtually six political parties," said Fico, alluding to the four centre-right parties that have representatives of two other political groups occupying seats in parliament - the conservative OKS as a platform within Most-Hid, and civil association 'Ordinary People' in Freedom and Solidarity (SaS). Fico said that this represents a great "element of instability" for the future.
The current premier first intends to extend official invitations to the chairs of the parliamentary political parties for talks on the election aftermath, not ruling out the possibility of co-operating with any of them. He said that he is prepared to be rejected, however.
Fico also said that if he fails to form a new cabinet made up of two parties, he'll make way for a new set-up to come to power smoothly. "We won't place any obstacles, and I'll ask all of my ministers to hand over their agendas in the most cultivated manner," he said.
Gasparovic said that he would accept a written statement by the centre-right bloc of parties if they reach an agreement to form a government. However, he noted that it's also within his constitutional powers to name a minority cabinet if necessary. "But it certainly won't come to that," he said.
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