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Stefanov: Situation Around My Ministry Has Turned Into Circus
Wednesday 10 March 2010 Zoom in | Print page
Bratislava, March 10 (TASR) - The situation surrounding the Construction and Regional Development Ministry is a political circus, said its head Igor Stefanov (Slovak National Party/SNS nominee) on Wednesday.
"The notice-board tender is just a big bubble that has burst. Not even my predecessor Marian Janusek (SNS) should have been ousted, which has now been proven by the Supreme Audit Office (NKU)," said Stefanov at the Government session.
Prime Minister Robert Fico has already announced that he will on the same day submit a proposal for Stefanov's dismissal to President Ivan Gasparovic.
Fico called on Stefanov on Tuesday evening to resign on his own initiative, but he has refused to do so, announcing his determination to stay at a press conference at which he was backed by the SNS leadership.
Stefanov claims that if he were ousted, he would be punished for the same reason as his predecessor Janusek. "Nobody has ever been executed for the same thing twice," he stressed.
Stefanov didn't say goodbye to his colleagues at the Government session later that day either. "I'm still the minister and I'll be doing my job," he said.
When it comes to his political future, Stefanov wasn't able to say whether his name will be on SNS's slate for the general election, arguing that he hasn't seen the list of candidates. "Only time will tell" whether he has ambitions to remain in politics.
Stefanov still thinks that SNS should remain a coalition partner during the next electoral term, and he wouldn't view such a development as humiliating after all the scandals either. "Quite the opposite," he said.
SNS chairman Jan Slota shares Stefanov's views, adding that his dismissal would have no meaning. He thinks that it would only be a hypocritical gesture.
Slota realises, however, that SNS maybe have to accept Education Minister and Deputy Premier Jan Mikolaj (SNS) as an interim Construction Minister, because it doesn't want any other party to take over its ministry.
Stefanov thinks that Fico is using double standards when judging SNS ministers and his own from Smer-SD. He refused to specify whom he had in mind, arguing that he doesn't want to attack his colleagues in the Government.
Mikolaj said that SNS wants to ask Gasparovic not to dismiss Stefanov. According to him, the party structures are still to discuss whether he should take over the Construction Ministry. He said that he doesn't even know whether he could turn the offer down.
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