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Figel: Premier Fico Inappropriately Enters Pre-Election Arena
Tuesday 20 April 2010 Zoom in | Print page
Bratislava April 20 (TASR) - Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) has entered the pre-election political arena in an inappropriate way, while the struggle in the run-up to the June 12 general election hasn't even started yet, according to the Christian Democrat KDH chairman Jan Figel.
Figel said this in response to Fico's press conference at Government Office earlier in the day. According to the KDH leader, Fico shouldn't have dealt with party issues on the turf of Government Office. Figel said Fico did so because he was ashamed of doing it in the seat of his party, and called on him to hold his party's press conferences in Smer-SD's headquarters (in the newly renovated former SDL headquarters - ed. note).
Speaking to journalists, Fico called the attempts of the opposition (right-wing) parties to create a five-party governing bloc to be legitimate, but that such a coalition would bring "remarkable political instability". He noted that a coalition of the strongest opposition party SDKU-DS plus the Christian Democrat KDH and ethnic-Hungarian SMK (in power between 1998-2006) would represent a return to the values they share, which would be harmful to Slovakia. Fico also spoke about the possibility of scrapping important policies if such a coalition re-emerged. [Ostensibly over a KDH-inspired bill on conscientious objection, the right-wing coalition fell apart before the end of the last term in 2006. - ed. note]
"By using these arguments and lecturing the public, Prime Minister is offending those citizens who are free, independent and perceptive," said Figel. He added that citizens will on June 12 vote freely and decide on their own what happens next.
Figel also said that to a certain extent he agrees with Fico's statement opposition parties don't share the same opinions on some issues; but the KDH leader is convinced that there are many topics where their programmes converge. Therefore, based on agreements, the right-wing parties, together, are capable of offering a stable alternative to the current ruling bloc.
KDH chairman added that Fico should rather improve his Cabinet's communications, and focus more on elimination of the negative impacts of his term as prime minister, such as corruption and dubious public procurement practices. "So that Slovakia has less shame in Brussels, and so that the unemployment rate doesn't go up any further," he said.
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