Transparency International Unhappy with Political Nominees

Transparency International Slovensko (TIS) is not happy about how the government is appointing its own people as heads of key supervisory authorities the Supreme Audit Office (NKU) and the Public Procurement Office (UVO), and is demanding that the posts be filled by selection proceedings instead.

The political watchdog TIS issued a statement yesterday, which reads “Unlike Prime Minister Robert Fico, we are convinced that top officials like the heads of the Supreme Audit Office and the Public Procurement Office should be appointed via public selection procedures”, while criticising that at present it is done by backstage agreements between parties.

It has been common practice to date for the NKU and UVO to be run by the opposition, but this time PM Robert Fico did a U-turn and said the posts could be filled by independent experts, going back on his original promise to the opposition. The opposition parties can contest, TIS can make its demands, but the majority government can make its own decisions in the end.

2 Comments

  1. I partly agree with the Spokespersons for TIS, the Institute of Public Affairs and a number of respected political analysts. From people that know who work for Fico not only are those being put in position are ” absolutely loyal to Smer” and ” acceptable to the interest groups behind Smer” , they are also the kind of people that can be manlipulated and are even expendable. ie when they are found out with their fingers in the till, Fico can just blame them and fire them , even though they did his bidding . Anyone with a brain , or may just spill the Smer beans ( not hard in Slovakia ) is not being put in any position of power .

  2. This weeks Spectator has a couple of good articles on this topic – sorry JB! Spokespersons for TIS, the Institute of Public Affairs and a number of respected political analysts are all of the same opinion. Bobby no Mates is making sure that the heads of all organisations with oversight on the government are ” absolutely loyal to Smer” and ” acceptable to the interest groups behind Smer” almost certainly to pave the way for future nefarious activities. So it would appear that the SK is in for at least 4 years of the dodgy deals, corrupt practices, ” we have done nothing illegal” routine that was the hallmark of his last government. The only difference is that he is now making sure he controls all the carpets under which things will be swept.

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