Hungarian Coalition Party (SMK) chairman Pal Csaky said that the proposal of Christian-Democrat (KDH) Vladimir Palko to politically isolate the SMK for a certain period of time after the chairman election actually speeded up the meeting of opposition leaders, which was rescheduled from next week. They will be meeting already this Wednesday at the headquarters of the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKU-DS). "The SDKU and the KDH reacted very elegantly and in a European manner," said Mr. Csaky.
The opposition will discuss their plan to oust Economy Minister Lubomir Jahnatek by a no-confidence vote in parliament. The opposition is already today handing over a proposal, in an extraordinary parliamentary session, to give the minister a vote of no confidence. Though the opposition does not have enough votes to recall the minister, Mr. Csaky thinks that their initiative makes sense, since after the minister's statements about concealing corruption in the armament industry for the Trend weekly, the opposition could not remain silent.
"When the minister of any government of a EU member country openly says that corruption is principally acceptable in certain spheres, provided that it is well-accounted for, it is unacceptable for any democrat or principled person," said Mr. Csaky. The opposition also wants to draw attention to other statements and activities of the minister.
In an interview for Trend, the minister spoke of "non-traditional forms of sale" in the armament industry. When a Trend editor suggested that especially third world countries, where bribes are common in trading, are interested in Slovak tanks and howitzers, the minister suggested that these are non-traditional forms of sale. "These non-traditional forms really work. We would be lying if we did not confirm this fact. But I think that this is possible also in state companies. But they have to be registered somewhere," he said. The minister also asked how a private company that has to follow the laws of this country "generates the black money that it invests in non-traditional forms of trading. A private businessperson can put this aside only legally. Why state-run companies cannot do the same?" asked Mr. Jahnatek.
However, Prime Minister Robert Fico firmly stands by his minister. He says that Mr. Jahnatek very openly spoke about practices in arms deals in third world countries and he said that Slovak companies, whether private or state-owned, have to cope with these practices, but only in a legal manner. He blamed the opposition and the media for having distorted the minister' words.
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