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Madaric: SDKU Unacceptable for Me Until Financing Scandal Is Explained
Sunday 31 January 2010 Zoom in | Print page
Bratislava, January 31 (TASR) - Until the allegations of SDKU-DS being financed thanks to money laundering are refuted, the current SDKU-DS leadership is unacceptable for Culture Minister Marek Madaric (Smer-SD) in terms of post-election co-operation, he said on TV Markiza's politics show 'Na Telo' on Sunday.
"My statement - that I wouldn't like to set any personal reservations (concerning post-election co-operation) - was made before these scandals (came to light)," said Madaric.
According to him, Smer-SD is interested in negotiations with every party that exceeds the 5-percent threshold and makes it to Parliament. "We haven't excluded anybody - that's our political approach," he said, adding that it's too soon to discuss what might happen after the general election scheduled for June.
Caucus leader of the Christian Democrats (KDH) Pavol Hrusovsky said in this respect that his party has long-term experience with SDKU-DS. "We were in charge for eight years (1998-2006) and it wasn't an easy governance. We expect that they'll explain the case," said Hrusovsky.
Asked about possibilities of co-operation between KDH and Smer-SD, Hrusovsky said that the conception of KDH's political strategy doesn't presuppose such co-operation. "When we don't automatically say 'no', it doesn't mean 'yes' (for Smer)," stressed Hrusovsky, adding that KDH will decide freely with respect to the interests of Slovak people.
The result of the no-confidence vote in Interior Minister Robert Kalinak (Smer-SD) initiated by the Opposition on Friday was labelled as 'degrading' by Madaric. "Not only due to the fact that a third of the Opposition didn't vote, not only due to the fact that the person who declares himself as the leader of the Opposition didn't even show up (SDKU-DS chairman Mikulas Dzurinda was late due to his party's meeting - ed. note)... but also because this gave minister Kalinak an opportunity to present what he's done (during his term of office), and he's done a lot," said Madaric.
Hrusovsky doesn't see the result of the no-confidence vote as a fiasco, however. "Individual MPs should be asked why they weren't fulfilling their MP's and Constitutional duties and weren't present at the session. I'm personally sorry that they underrated the importance of this discussion, even though the result had been clear in advance," added Hrusovsky.
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