In the predominantly Hungarian-inhabited Velke Kapusany/Nagykapos, in eastern Slovakia, unknown perpetrators vandalized the bronze statue of the ethnic Hungarian Roman Catholic priest László Mécs. The statue, raised by the Roman Catholic Church in 1996 to commemorate the centennial of Mécs’s birth, was forcefully removed and tossed into a nearby ditch. Elek Bartók, Roman Catholic archdeacon, told the Hungarian-language daily Új Szó that the church filed complaints against the unknown perpetrators. Pál Csáky, Deputy Prime Minister responsible for human rights and minorities, voiced concern over the incident saying that the government does not tolerate actions jeopardizing peaceful inter-ethnic relations. [ Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony) October 1 and 2, 2001]

Deputy Prime Minister for Human Rights, Minorities and Regional Development Pál Csáky announced that the Hungarian Coalition Party (HCP) will continue its participation in the ruling government coalition. The decision made by HCP's presidency must also be adopted by the party's National Council convened for October 13, 2001. Csáky pointed out that coalition partners made substantial progress in the resolution of key issues vital for the country's democratic reform and the Hungarian minority’s survival [see report of August 25, 2001]. [ Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), September 27, 2001]

In Samorin/Somorja, a dominantly ethnic Hungarian inhabited city, the newly opened Austrian Billa shopping center failed to post bilingual information signs despite a contract with the local authorities mandating it to do so. Currently, all information signs in the shopping center are Slovak only with the exception of the one stating the hours of operation. Following a written complaint by Mayor Ján Babej, and the Hungarian-language daily Új Szó’s inquiry, the commercial director of the company’s Slovak branch stated that bilingual information signs had been ordered to replace the existing Slovak-only ones, pending approval by the parent company in Austria. [ Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony) September 26, 2001]

In a vote of 80-3 with 53 abstentions, the Slovak Parliament adopted a fundamental component of public administration reform, the so-called competence law, devolving central powers to local governments. Earlier the Hungarian Coalition Party (HCP) tied its participation in the government coalition to adoption of public administration reform, a major criteria for Slovakia's EU membership, of which this law was an integral part [ see report of August 25, 2001] . The law now grants local governments authority over a wide range of areas such as transportation, water supply, civilian security, registry of civilians, social assistance, regional planning and development, protection of the environment, education, culture, health care and tourism. One of the amendments relating to national minority theaters submitted by the faction leader of the Hungarian Coalition Party Gyula Bárdos, provides that four specific minority theaters — one Ukrainian–Ruthenian, one Roma and two ethnic Hungarian (the Jókai Theatre in Komárno/Révkomárom and the Thália Theatre in Kosice/Kassa) — receive the necessary funding to be managed by regional governments. HCP will bring a final decision to remain in the government coalition conditional upon adoption of five more bills relating to public administration reform. [ Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony) September 21, 2001]

The government adopted the bill on the ombudsman, paving the way for the election by Parliament of the first ombudsman, the official human rights advocate in Slovakia. Elected for five years, the ombudsman's office will be based in Bratislava/Pozsony with a staff of 16 including 7-8 lawyers. The budget allocated for the institution is estimated at 16 million Slovak Korunas (approx. US$ 338,000). The ombudsman’s sphere of authority will be expanded to include monitoring state and local government institutions, health care units, medical insurance companies and prisons. Individuals belonging to national minorities can address the ombudsman's office in their native language and, if necessary, the state must provide for an interpreter. [ Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony) September 20, 2001]

A referendum held in Matejovce, eastern Slovakia, was unsuccessful due to the low turnout, and failed to relocate a 150-member Roma group from a dilapidated house in the town center into publicly-funded housing outside the village. Of the 2,098 residents eligible to vote ,only 297 (15 percent) cast their ballots. However, over 90 percentage of the them voted in favor of the Roma population's relocation. The effected Romas themselves could not vote since due to their lack of permanent resident status in the community, they were not on the roster of registered voters. [ Slovak Spectator (Bratislava/Pozsony) September 17, 2001]

The Hungary-based Budapest University of Economic Sciences and Public Administration opened a branch division in Komárno/Révkomárom providing native-language instruction to nearly 500 ethnic Hungarian students [see report of May 25, 2001]. The faculty consists of visiting professors from the Budapest university as well as a number of qualified young instructors from the region. Currently, over one hundred students can live in dormitories on-campus and the number of students enrolled in the division will likely increase by 300 students next year. In the interim, the Senate of Konstantin University in Nitra/Nyitra continues to hinder the establishment of a Hungarian-language faculty despite the government’s recommendation to do so [see report of May 17, 2001]. [Új Szó, (Bratislava/Pozsony), September 6, 2001]

The European Parliament (EP) adopted a resolution on Slovakia's application for membership to the European Union summarizing the country’s progress in complying with EU standards. The resolution also criticized Slovakia for failure to institute minority rights. The EP expressed regret over public administration reforms—including the administrative division of the county into eight regions—which ran contrary to the aspiration of the Hungarian minority. Another shortcomings of Slovakia was its failure to implement the government policy on education, providing members of the Hungarian minority with native-language higher-level education. This intention was “undermined by reference to the autonomy of existing higher educational institutions,” stated the resolution. Hungarian Coalition Party President Béla Bugár said “the resolution calls on our coalition partners to pay greater attention to the importance of minority rights.” [ European Parliament resolution on Slovakia's membership application to the European Union and the state of negotiations September 5, 2001 and Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony) September 6, 2001]

The Slovak Government approved the bill on the implementing provisions of the public administration law [see report of July 4, 2001]. If Parliament endorses the bill by September 30, then the primary condition set by the National Council of the Hungarian Coalition Party (HCP) [see report of August 25, 2001] for its continued participation in the government coalition will have been met. The cabinet will submit the bill to Parliament by September 7. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), September 6, 2001]

According to police sources, six individuals put up posters and distributed leaflets with racist content threatening minority groups in Roznava/Rozsnyó. In an increasing wave of anti-minority propaganda, unknown perpetrators damaged a large billboard posted by the People Against Racism (LPO), a human rights organization. The billboard was painted over with the skinhead movement's salutation “Sieg Heil!” and “Death to the Gypsies!” in Slovak. Miroslav Kovac, Roznava/Rozsnyó LPO activist told the Hungarian-language daily Új Szó that his organization filed a complaint with the police for damage to the billboard amounting to 15,000 Slovak Korunas (approx. US$ 315). [ Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony) September 4]