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Slota: VUC Election Not Priority for SNS Voters
Sunday 22 November 2009 Zoom in | Print page
(STV, November 22, 'O 5 Minut 12')
Our voters have priorities different from the Higher Territorial Units (VUC) elections, said governing-coalition Slovak National Party (SNS) chairman Jan Slota on public-service Slovak Television's (STV) politics show 'O 5 Minut 12' (5 Minutes to 12) on Sunday, adding that the VUC plebiscite was a total flop.
"An ordinary person hardly ever gets in touch with the VUC authorities," said Slota, noting that a remedy could be sought in removing bureaucracy. That's why SNS aims to submit a proposal on a new territorial and administrative division of Slovakia, he said.
"I can see no reason why we should spend €15 million on the functioning of eight Higher Territorial Units," said Slota, adding that Slovakia could get by with three VUCs, with the cities of Bratislava and Kosice given independent status.
"An overwhelming majority of my colleagues realise that eight VUCs are inefficient and too costly," he said. According to him, MP support for the initiative is not certain as yet, however.
Turning to the events of November 1989, Slota said that this was no revolution, but a controlled transfer from communism to capitalism. "It was managed by top representatives of the communist regime who realised that it (the regime) was unsustainable and that it was falling apart," he claimed.
Slota was dismissive of the influence of dissidents. "If anybody thinks that by rattling keys and running around a square with candles they can topple a regime with 250,000 soldiers, 100,000 militiamen and another say 100,000 police officers, then they're either foolish or utterly stupid," he said, adding that it's worth commemorating the events and celebrating them, however.
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