January 29, 1998

Speculation continues to surround the identities of the two ethnic Hungarians chosen by the Slovak government to represent the Hungarian minority at upcoming talks of the joint committee reviewing implementation of the Hungarian-Slovak Bilateral Agreement. Foreign Ministry Spokesman Milan Tokár merely said that the press was fifty percent correct in its speculation about István György and László Lengyel, and that it is out of the question that the government negotiate on this matter with the Hungarian Coalition. [Új Szó, (Bratislava/Pozsony), Jan. 30 1998]

The Slovak Parliament failed to elect a president and another vote is scheduled for February 6. The Slovak Democratic Coalition candidate Stefan Markus received 24 of 150 votes, while Juraj Hrasko of the Party of the Democratic Left received 22. Independent candidate Augustin Kurek, who received 14 votes, is not eligible for the second round where it is unlikely that either candidate will garner the necessary three-fifths majority required. [OMRI Slovak Daily Digest, (Bratislava/Pozsony), Jan. 30 1998]

January 27, 1998

Three Hungarian and one Ruthenian civil organizations in Slovakia began a drive to collect 100,000 signatures on a petition calling on the Slovak Parliament to adopt a Minority Language Law. Its sponsors are the nationwide Hungarian cultural organization Csemadok, the Ruthenian Revival Movement, the Federation of Hungarian Pedagogues in Slovakia and the Federation of Hungarian Parents in Slovakia. [News Mirror - DAHR MTI Press Service, (Budapest), Jan. 27 1998]

The Hungarian Coalition protested the planned amendment of the Election Law which would raise the threshold to 5 percent per party, a figure that neither Hungarian political party could achieve alone. [News Mirror - DAHR MTI Press Service, (Budapest), Jan. 27 1998]

The Co-Existence Political Movement is recommending that ethnic Hungarian students and parents not take advantage of the ``opportunity’’ to pay the duty on non-official translations of their report cards since these, in effect, will be worthless. [News Mirror - DAHR MTI Press Service, (Budapest), Jan. 27 1998]

January 22, 1998

The Hungarian government has rejected the appointment by Slovakia of two marginal political figures to represent ethnic Hungarians in the meeting of the joint committee reviewing implementation of the Hungarian-Slovak Bilateral Agreement following protests by the Hungarian parties represented in the Slovak Parliament. [Neue Züricher Zeitung, (Zürich), Jan. 24. 1998]

Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar’s party, the Movement for a Democratic Slovakia announced that it will begin criminal proceedings against President Michal Kovac once his appointment expires n March 2 and he looses his immunity. The Party did not specify on what grounds it would pursue indictment. [News Mirror - DAHR MTI Press Service, (Budapest), Jan. 22. 1998]

January 19, 1998

It seems that the Slovak government has chosen István György as one of two people to represent the Hungarian minority in the Slovak-Hungarian Joint Committee on Minority Affairs. The move was condemned by the Hungarian Coalition of which György’s party, the Hungarian Popular Movement is not a member and which did not garner enough votes to gain parliamentary representation. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), Jan. 19 and 21, 1997]

January 16, 1998

The Foreign Ministry has chosen the two ethnic Hungarians to represent the community in the joint committee monitoring compliance with the yet to be signed Hungarian-Slovak Bilateral Agreement. The identities of the persons, apart from their ethnicity, have not been made public. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), Jan. 16, 1997]

Hungarian Foreign Minister László Kovács agreed to meet with his Slovak counterpart Zdenka Kramplová on January 22, 1998 to discuss collaboration in foreign affair initiatives and the protocol of the Hungarian-Slovak Bilateral Agreement. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), Jan. 14, 1997]

January 15, 1998

The Federation of Hungarian Teachers in Slovakia took upon itself to mail prototypes for semi-annual report cards to all schools where students are receiving Slovak only documents. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), Jan. 15, 1997]

January 13, 1998

Slovak Parliament President Ivan Gasparovic announced that presidential elections will be postponed from January 23 by six days in order not to clash with a Central European leaders’ summit being held in Slovakia. [OMRI Slovak Daily Digest, Jan.14, 1998]

January 11, 1998

In response to an Új Szó reporter’s question why in Nitra/Nyitra County the Matica Slovenská is distributing school bags and supplies only to children who attend Slovak—language schools, an employee responded ``because we are in Slovakia and in fact all children should be attending Slovak schools.’’ [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), Jan. 14, 1997]

January 9, 1998

According to recent press reports, OSCE High Commissioner for National Minorities Max van der Stoel issued a letter to the Slovak government calling for endorsement of law on minority-language protection. Hungarian Christian Democratic Movement Vice President Pál Csáky confirmed that in December 1997, the European Union, the OSCE, and the Council of Europe agreed to jointly urge for a law safeguarding the use of minority-language in Slovakia. Moreover, Csáky applauded the international organizations’ decision to reject the Slovak government’s memorandum, which declared such a law pointless, and for making such minority-language legislation a fundamental condition for Slovakia’s EU membership. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), Jan. 9, 1997]

The three-member parties of the Hungarian Coalition finalized the by-laws for the Hungarian Coalition Party and will file for incorporation with the Interior Ministry. The Coalition’s Council agreed on three alternatives of equal value to pursue should a new Election Law with higher thresholds be adopted. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), Jan. 12, 1997]

January 7, 1998

Parliamentary Spokesman Ivan Gasparovic will convene a special session of Parliament on January 23, announcing the first round of voting for the new president, since current President Michal Kovac will officially end his term on March 2. While a referendum last May sought to elect the president via direct popular vote, it failed due to a questionable government move, which received strong criticism from the European Union. Now, a three-fifths majority is required in Parliament for a new president, which has led Hungarian Christian Democratic Movement Vice President Szigeti László to express his doubts about a successful vote. With 17 parliamentary deputies, the Hungarian Coalition has yet to decide, which candidate to support --Juraj Hrasko from the Democratic Left-Wing Party, or Hungarian-speaking Stefan Markus nominated by the Slovak Democratic Coalition. Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar has declared both opposition candidates unacceptable for the Democratic Movement for Slovakia, the largest party in the 150-seat parliament. In case it fails to elect a new president, the Slovak Premier will be entitled to take over most of its functions, enhancing Meciar’s authority for the upcoming elections in September 1998. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), Jan. 8, 1997; Népszava (Budapest), Jan 8, 1997; Central European Online (London), Jan. 8, 1997]

József Szilvássy, editor-in-chief of the only Hungarian-language daily Új Szó resigned. No new editor has been named yet. [News Mirror - DAHR MTI Press Service, (Budapest), Jan. 7, 1998]