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SNS Initiative Fizzles as Legislature Votes Against Patriot Act
Tuesday 27 April 2010 Zoom in | Print page
Bratislava, April 27 (TASR) - Parliament on Tuesday rejected the Patriot Act as drafted by co-ruling Slovak National Party (SNS), thus failing to override President Ivan Gasparovic's veto on the initiative, TASR learnt on the same day.
While a total of 77 MPs backed the bill in March, a mere 29 out of 89 legislators present in the House on Tuesday voted in favour of the initiative this time.
Only a small fraction of co-governing LS-HZDS party MPs joined SNS MPs in supporting the bill, while the vast majority of legislators representing leading Smer-SD party abstained from voting.
All Opposition Christian Democrats (KDH) and ethnic-Hungarian SMK party MPs, plus the majority of fellow Opposition SDKU-DS legislators, were absent for the vote.
Gasparovic vetoed the Act last month, saying that schools won't be able to furnish themselves with the necessary equipment (such as loudspeakers for playing the national anthem, and several state symbols) within such a short period of time.
The bill was turned down despite some optimism concerning the vote as voiced recently by Slovak National Party (SNS) vice-chair Anna Belousovova. "I'm still a realistic optimist, and I believe that the Patriot Act will be passed in the end. People are looking forward to it," Belousovova told TASR, adding that she will not be content until she sees the bill passed.
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