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Opposition MPs Will Relluctantly Vote for Amendment Limiting Immunity
Tuesday 01 December 2009 Zoom in | Print page
Bratislava, December 1 (TASR) - The Constitutional Act amendment drafted by Smer-SD MP Renata Zmajkovicova aimed at restricting parliamentary immunity is regarded by the Opposition parties as steeped in hypocrisy, chairmen of the Christian Democrats (KDH), SDKU-DS and ethnic-Hungarian SMK parties agreed after a joint meeting on Tuesday.
However, the Opposition will vote in favour of the amendment regardless – as it is the Opposition that has sponsored such a bill on several occasions.
The Opposition representatives back their claim of hypocrisy via the case of MP Jan Kvorka (Smer-SD). The Mandate and Immunity Committee, led by Zmajkovicova, declined the request from the Prosecutor General's Office in October to lift Kvorka's immunity so that he could face criminal prosecution for allegedly using violence in an attempt to recover a debt.
A minimum of 90 votes for the constitutional majority required to change a Constitutional Act - a number the governing parties don't have at their disposal. Hence, the fact that Zmajkovicova didn't consult her amendment with the Opposition representatives doesn't sit well with Opposition MPs.
"We have no problem supporting the restriction of parliamentary immunity; however, we don't consider it politically wise or responsible for an MP to come up with such an initiative without prior consultations with other caucuses," said KDH caucus chairman Pavol Hrusovsky.
According to his SDKU-DS counterpart Stanislav Janis, Zmajkovicova has never voted for any restriction of parliamentary immunity. Ethnic-Hungarian SMK party has no problem with the amendment either.
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