Parliament, or rather the majority Smer-SD party, held the controversial vote at 5.30pm today on appointing a new Attorney General, despite the pending case at the Constitutional Court over President Ivan Gasparovic’s refusal to appoint duly elected Jozef Centes to the post for the past two years.
The new Attorney General, provided the President likes the choice, something that is almost guaranteed this time round, will be Jaromir Ciznar, the candidate of Prime Minister Robert Fico’s standalone government.
Yesterday Ciznar made it clear that he would stand down if he has broken the law by accepting the post, but that he would not stand down if the Constitutional Court finds the President violated the law by not appointing Centes, who was the opposition’s candidate at the time.
The latest move, which was met with complete disgust, is the final step to ensure that the crucial post is filled by someone who is more suitable for the President and for the government, after two years of court disputes and an impeachment petition on the President, whose only grounds for not appointing Centes were that he did not find him morally suitable.
The liberal Freedom and Solidarity party (SaS) has called on the president not to appoint Ciznar as the vote was anti-constitution and in conflict to good morals. The whole two-year saga is rife with crony practices and brings into question once again the whole system of democracy in the country, when a duly elected official is held out from a post until someone more suitable can be positioned there.
Ahhhhhhhhhh that turd just gets warmer and warmer ….
Good reporting Dave C. My stomach turns daily when I see the SR change not for the better. Life does not have to be difficult. So why does this regime always put up barriers?
Another dodgy move, completed almost in secrecy. BnM and the Bandits have changed the “rules” regarding public tenders. The Administration of State Materials Reserve Agency – the one caught selling platinum recently, may now “spend” its 21million budget without having to go through the tender process and just to make sure they get their cut they are knitting a new post of vice-chairman which will be another Govt. nominee. The good old days are back!
Dave C – do you have a link for “Govt. to approve new law enabling the state to seize property” ?
Mattej
The general pre-amble to the proposal was covered briefly on the JOJ news report on Matovic occupation of Fico’s vineyard but as usual did not report any real details. Analysts at the major banks – mortgage providers are concerned that although the reason given for this proposal is to make the compulsory purchase of land for road building easier the wording makes the proposed law open ended and therefore could be used for any manner of nefarious reasons. Almost certainly a slight of hand by BnM and Co as the proposals only cover the provision of compensation, set by the state, not payments of the true market value of any property taken. ( thats the worry for the mortgage lenders) It’s seen by some as another excuse for the “we have done nothing illegal” for future dodgy activities. One of my Slovak friends put it quite plainly – We want to build something – we take your property – we decide not to build something – we take or give your property to our friends – Hey, Presto! I have a new vineyard, farm, nice big house, prime building land!
In short – it stinks!
I feel there is less of a future for Slovakia.
My rosé tinted glasses are now black and question how neighbors like
Hungary in 2010-2011 and in 2014, Czech Rep will revise citizenship laws for
the better and Slovakia refuses to move forward
and open up. Simply sad.
Democracy has officially been killed off over here. If SMER keeps this up and its opponents keep quiet or bickering among themselves, then we’re on the way to a single-party kleptocratic thug state. And the EU, like with Hungary, will do nothing about it. Absolute disgrace for this country and for Slovaks as a whole indeed.
Peter
Democracy died in its infancy here. You now have a defaco communist state heading towards a communist dictatorship.
Two little snippets from the recent news:
Govt. to approve new law enabling the state to seize property – just like the good old days! and no doubt to help line “party members” pockets.
Govt. to establish and run over 80 meat processing plants – new state industry? which, because of their state subsidies will force many commercial processors out of business. Control the food chain – Marxism 101!
Another example of the march towards total dependance upon the state:
BnM and the clowns are now proposing that international education certificates will no longer be accepted – reason – they ( Slovak eduction system) can’t varify the standards.
So forget sending your kids for English lessons at an accredited language school, sitting an Oxford/ Cambridge Examination Board exam, adjudicated by the qualified and certified staff of the British Council and rigorously monitored by Oxbridge accademics.
Little Jaro will have to endure lessons with a Borat clone, sit an exam prepared, adjudicated and marked by a person who’s second/third/fourth language is English – (they have a diplom, real, copied, bought or forged to prove it.) The scrap of paper he will be awarded for his success will be worthless.
Rather than bring language teaching upto ESL or other Internationally recognised standards they would rather take this backwards step and protect the ever failing state education system with this barmy law.
Absolute disgrace!
BnM and Co are set to bring more disgrace to this country as Joseph Daul, chair of the EPP Group, the largest political group in the EU, is to ask the European Commission to investigate the whole General Procurator farce.
As usual, the response from the House of Fun is to suggest this would be meddling with sovereign affairs – as if a majority government and back pocket president abusing the constitution and ignoring the rule of law is not grounds for international concern.
Mr Daul is not a man to cross, his group could take a microscope to the activities in this country and deliver the harsh sanctions needed to make Bobby and the Bandits either behave or be gone.
Even more bad news is the proposal that any fraud or dodgy dealings involving EU funds will be investigated by an EU agency with wide and comprehensive powers which will make having your pals in place to sweep such matters under the carpet less effective.
At last the EU is noting what is going on here and I hope they come down like a ton of bricks on all involved.
Must be so good to be Slowvak ……..just like dumping a warm turd ?