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SDKU: Dzurinda Won't Be Candidate for Premier Whatever Happens
Wednesday 24 February 2010 Zoom in | Print page
Bratislava, February 24 (TASR) - The opposition SDKU-DS party, which led the Slovak government of 2002-06, said on Wednesday that its chairman and former premier Mikulas Dzurinda will not be a candidate for the post of prime minister even if the party forms the new government after the June 12 election.
Vice-chairman and lawmaker Ivan Miklos further stated that the party's candidate for the head of government will be the person who tops its list of candidates. The party will choose its slate leader at primary elections due to be held as early as this Saturday.
Miklos confirmed that he is going head-to-head for the position with fellow vice-chair Iveta Radicova, noting that the margin between the two won't be wide. "Regardless of who wins, however, we - meaning not only the two of us but other colleagues - make up a team. We've never been a one-man party," he claimed.
Radicova also commented on the contest. "The contest won't be about winners and losers but about a strong team that will spearhead SDKU-DS in the election. I'm looking forward to co-operation with Ivan in any capacity," she said.
The former labour minister also gave assurances that speculation about an ensuing rift inside the party are complete nonsense, and that there won't be any special campaign in the run-up to the primaries. "Neither of us is a carpetbagger for our members - I have a four-year history, Ivan has a somewhat longer one. They are familiar with our opinions. What new could we come up with for them?" said Radicova.
Miklos reaffirmed that his party will not go into a coalition with Smer-SD under any election leader, which is why speculation by the fellow opposition Christian Democrats (KDH) about a Smer-KDH-SDKU coalition is unrealistic.
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