The Roma in Slovakia have set up a new political party in the hope that it will help promote the interests of this ethnic minority in Slovakia. The SRUS party (the Slovak Roma Union of Slovakia) filed for registration with the Ministry of Interior on 30 November 2010, reports SITA newswire.
Party chairman Frantisek Tanko explained that the official presentation of the party to the public should take place sometime next week.
Head of minority rights organisation – the Milan Simecka Foundation, Laco Oravec, does not feel that setting up political parties will really help the Roma community, and that it might prove to be a dead-end for those entering politics, with little chance of success. He feels that they would be better off joining forces with established parties instead of setting up new ones, as most Roma vote still tend to vote for larger parties.