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Immunity Restriction Didn't Have Clear Support
Tuesday 08 December 2009 Zoom in | Print page
Bratislava, December 8 (TASR) - The legislative proposal for the restriction of MPs' immunity didn't have clear support from either Coalition or Opposition parties, TASR was told by committee chair Renata Zmajkovicova (Smer-SD), who withdrew her proposal from Parliament on Tuesday.
She said that amendments involving the constitution are difficult to promote towards the end of a term (general election is set for June 2010), adding that Gabor Gal's (Most-Hid) proposal on conflict of interest met the same fate.
"I still think there is no ground for the level in which the immunity is now," said Zmajkovicova. "As there wasn't support for this amendment, I didn't want to re-open this issue in Parliament," she said on adding that it will be sufficiently open in the media. "There wouldn't be the necessary 90 votes, so I have withdrawn it. It is my right (to do so)," said the MP.
The proposed legislation should have removed the need for Parliament's approval for criminal prosecution against MPs. The current, broadly-applied immunity should have been limited to MPs protection only in connection with their Parliament activities – including trips to and from Parliament sessions – if the proposal had proceeded.
Part of the legislation also envisaged to ban any restriction of MPs freedom on their way to Parliament sessions, so the proper functioning of Parliament would not have been limited or manipulated.
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