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Belousovova: Smer and HZDS Have Violated Coalition Agreement
Thursday 11 February 2010 Zoom in | Print page
Bratislava, February 11 (TASR) - Coalition parties LS-HZDS and Smer-SD violated the Coalition Agreement when they voted in favour of an amendment to the law on universities on Wednesday, said Slovak National Party (SNS) vice-chair Anna Belousovova at a press conference on Thursday.
According to Belousovova, the amendment submitted by Mojmir Mamojka (Smer) interferes with an agenda that belongs exclusively to the remit of the SNS-led Education Ministry. "The vote that passed the proposal to its second reading was an unpleasant disenchantment for us. There were coalition agreements that this law doesn't get round," she said, adding that SNS doesn't interfere in the agendas of its coalition partners.
"SNS has always respected coalition agreements and we've always kept our mouth shut, but it's time to say 'enough'. We're now waiting for proposals from them," said Belousovova, adding that the coalition partners must wake up to SNS's value. "We don't see any other alternatives after the (general) election except for this social and nationally-oriented Coalition," she stated.
Belousovova stressed several times that one of the aims of Education Minister Jan Mikolaj has been to halt the devaluation of a Slovak university education, including by tightening up accreditation conditions, but Mamojka's proposal is a step backwards and dismantles university reform. She is convinced that SNS's expert arguments will ensure that Mamojka's amendment won't pass its second reading.
The amendment to the law on universities allows colleges to grant masters and engineering degrees, as well as doctorates. Mikolaj considers this proposal to be incompetent and a "rather substantial interference" in the current system.
Of the 128 MPs present, 112 voted in favour of the amendment, including five from SNS.
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