February 28, 1998

A Slovak daily, Praca, quoted Democratic Movement for Slovakia President Vladimír Meciar as saying in the party’s January national leadership meeting that if his party receives an absolute or a three-fifths parliamentary majority in the next elections, he would amend the Constitution, "ultimately changing the political system in Slovakia." [Magyar Hírlap (Budapest), March 2, 1998]

February 26, 1998

The Democratic Movement for Slovakia considers Democratic Left-Wing Party presidential candidate Ladislav Ballek unacceptable because the ethnic Hungarian parties have declared their support for him. "Slovak citizens would not like to see their movement support a candidate who also fulfills ethnic Hungarian expectations," stated Jan Cuper, the Democratic Movement for Slovakia’s legal advisor. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), Feb. 27]

Hungarian Civic Party President László A. Nagy praised outgoing President Michal Kovac for demonstrating strong moral and ethical values, also pointing out that he was the most popular Slovak politician among ethnic Hungarians. [Fórum Institute (Dunajska Streda/Dunaszerdahely), Feb. 25, 1998]

February 25, 1998

Chris Donelly, Central European Advisor to NATO Secretary General, stated that "NATO’s position on Slovakia’s membership can quickly change if a strong and pro-integration government emerges after the next elections." Concerning the referendum on April 19, Donelly indicated that it would not be completely indifferent to NATO; however, when Slovakia’s membership is evaluated, actions on the part of the political leadership will have more significance than words. [Fórum Institute (Dunajska Streda/Dunaszerdahely), Feb. 25, 1998]

In his last press conference, outgoing President Michal Kovac considered his biggest achievement the organization of a meeting attended by presidents of Central European countries, at the same time mentioning the lack of dialogue with the government as a shortcoming of his presidency. Kovac, who paid considerable attention to minority concerns, believes that Slovakia will proceed with democratic reforms and hopes that the rescheduled referendum will take place, followed by free and fair elections in September. If the government, however, manipulates the elections, Kovac is determined to rally support for the defense of democracy. [Fórum Institute (Dunajska Streda/Dunaszerdahely), Feb. 25, 1998; Central European Online (London), Feb. 26, 1998]

If the Slovak government attempts to sabotage the referendum on April 19 the Slovak Democratic Coalition and the Hungarian Coalition are ready to begin collecting signatures on a petition for a new referendum on changing the method of selecting the president to direct popular vote, said Hungarian Christian Democratic Movement Vice-President László Szigeti. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), Feb. 26]

February 24, 1998

Prime Minister Vladimír Meciar and President Michal Kovac met briefly today to agree on the transfer of presidential power to the Cabinet after the president leaves office March 2. Amendments to the Election Law were also on the agenda with Premier Meciar stating that the government will not implement radical changes in the letter of the law. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), Feb. 25; Central European Online (London), Feb. 25, 1998]

February 23, 1998

The Vladimír Meciar-led government seeks to abolish the newly scheduled referendum on April 19 following the Constitutional Court ruling that the government had acted unlawfully when it withdrew a question on the presidential election ballot last May. With President Michal Kovac leaving his office on March 2, some presidential power will pass to the Cabinet, which plans to annul the referendum immediately, as agreed to by all presidents of the coalition parties in a meeting in Trencianske Teplice/Trencsénteplicen [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), Feb. 24, 1998]

Ladislav Ballek, Democratic Left-Wing Party presidential candidate in the second round of voting, may be endorsed by all opposition parties, said Hungarian Christian Democratic Movement President Béla Bugár at the party’s press conference, adding that "it would be a good indication of the opposition’s eagerness to cooperate." The party’s Vice President, Pál Csáky, found the government’s attempt to amend the Election Law unfair because it has not yet consulted with the opposition. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), Feb. 24, 1998]

February 20, 1998

Prime Minister Vladimír Meciar will not run for President in the second round of voting March 5, but his party, the Democratic Movement for Slovakia, refused to endorse any other candidate. By the nomination deadline, only one political party, the Democratic Left-Wing Party had announced its candidate: Ladislav Ballek, a writer. Hungarian Christian Democratic Movement President Béla Bugár pledged to support him on behalf of the Hungarian Coalition. [Fórum Institute (Dunajska Streda/Dunaszerdahely), Feb. 20, 1998]

After the Constitutional Court ruled that the government had acted unlawfully by withdrawing the question on presidential elections from a referendum last May (see report of February 12), President Michal Kovac rescheduled the referendum for April 19. Last year’s referendum was a result of a petition signed by a half-million citizens who sought to change the method of selecting the president to direct popular vote. Commenting on the President’s decision, Árpád Zólyomi Duka, Vice President of the Co-Existence Political Movement, stated, "the main task for parties now is to safeguard the implementation of the referendum so that the government cannot block it again." [Fórum Institute (Dunajska Streda/Dunaszerdahely), Feb. 20, 1998; Central European Online (London), Feb. 23, 1998]

Reflecting on President Michal Kovac’s decision to repeat on April 19 the referendum blocked by the government last May, Interior Minister Gustav Krajci declared the President’s decision legally impermissible, calling it a political maneuver. Attorney General Michal Valo asserted that the President’s motion is not listed in the legal code, rendering it invalid, while Prime Minister Vladimír Meciar said the President had acted unconstitutionally but gave no details regarding what the government’s next step would be. [Fórum Institute (Dunajska Streda/Dunaszerdahely), Feb. 20, 1998]

Privately owned media, including commercial television and radio stations, will be banned from participating in the election campaign, stipulates the draft of an amendment to the Election Law prepared by the Interior Ministry. The draft also states that the election campaign will be regulated in newspapers by imposing heavy fines, up to 1 million Korona, if the law is violated. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), Feb. 20, 1998]

The opposition Democratic Party believes that the amendment to the Election Law is a swindle, an attempt to manipulate general elections and limit the Slovak Democratic Coalition’s chances. The party is outraged by changes in the Election Law, specifically, that the electorates would obtain a list of parties only at the polls, each consisting of 150 candidate names, and only the state-funded media has exclusive rights to cover the election campaign. [Fórum Institute (Dunajska Streda/Dunaszerdahely), Feb. 20, 1998]

February 19, 1998

Hungarian Civic Party Vice President László Gyurovszky reiterated that his party withholds support for Vladimír Meciar’s presidential candidacy because it holds him responsible for Slovakia’s exclusion from EU and NATO accession talks, blocking a referendum last May, and lately, ignoring the Constitutional Court’s ruling. The Democratic Union has also refused to back Meciar’s nomination, stating that "morally as well, Meciar fails to meet obligations which a President must fulfill." [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), Feb. 20, 1998]

February 18, 1998

The Democratic Movement for Slovakia will not endorse Vladimír Meciar’s presidential candidacy if the three-fifths majority (90 votes) necessary to succeed is not secured in advance, said Deputy Premier Sergej Kozlik. Although political negotiations have been inconclusive with opposition parties, namely, the Democratic Union, the Christian Democratic Movement, and the Democratic Left-Wing Party, Tibor Cabaj, leader of the Movement for Democratic Slovakia’s parliamentary faction, said he is expecting 92 votes for Meciar. The Hungarian Coalition refused to negotiate with the Movement for Democratic Slovakia, and will not endorse Meciar’s candidacy [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), Feb. 19, 1998; Central European Online (London), Feb. 19, 1998]]

According to a recent survey, only 41 percent of the Slovak electorates believe the upcoming elections in September will be free and fair. [Fórum Institute (Dunajska Streda/Dunaszerdahely), Feb. 18, 1998]

February 16, 1998

"For Slovakia, it would be a catastrophe, if Meciar was elected the president," said Árpád Zólyomi Duka, Vice President of the Co-Existence Political Movement. In response to Minster of Labor Olga Keltosova’s statement that the Movement for Democratic Slovakia has started political negotiations with all parliamentary parties over Meciar’s candidacy, Hungarian Civic Party President László A. Nagy declared that under no circumstances will the Hungarian Coalition enter into the negotiations simply because Meciar’s presidency would be unacceptable for the ethnic Hungarian parties. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), Feb. 18, 1998]

The Slovak Democratic Coalition, consisting of five opposition parties, held a conference on the current situation of Slovakia’s national minorities and explored ways to resolve their problems. One of the participants, László Öllõs, spelled out the need for a profound change in the social and political atmosphere in order to see concrete improvement in the situation of minorities. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), Feb. 17, 1998]

February 14, 1998

The Interior Ministry has prepared a draft amendment to the Election Law, which is expected for a debate in Parliament in March, said Interior Minister Gustav Krajci. The amendment seeks to implement several changes in the Election Law of which probably the most critical is requiring a five percent threshold for each party in a coalition. If this new Election Law is adopted by the Parliament, the Hungarian Coalition, which consists of three parties ,will face a strong chance of losing its parliamentary seats as it previously garnered 10.9 percent of the vote altogether.[Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), Feb. 16, 1998]

February 13, 1998

Tibor Cabaj, leader of the Movement for Democratic Slovakia’s parliamentary faction, announced that Prime Minister Vladimír Meciar would consider running for the presidency in the second round of voting on March 5. Because a three-fifths majority (90 votes) is required for a successful vote, Meciar currently falls short by 9 votes, which he hopes to collect from the opposition parties. All opposition parties stated that they would not vote for Meciar, who needs to make a decision by February 20, the deadline for nomination of presidential candidates to the new round. [Fórum Institute (Dunajska Streda/Dunaszerdahely), Feb. 13, 1998]

Following the Constitutional Court’s ruling that the government had violated the rights of citizens by withdrawing questions on the presidential elections from a referendum last May, the Hungarian Coalition, Slovak Democratic Coalition and the Petition Committee, which initiated the referendum last year, handed President Michal Kovac a letter calling for a new referendum on the issue. The president has promised to make a decision by next week. [Fórum Institute (Dunajska Streda/Dunaszerdahely), Feb. 13, 1998]

February 12, 1998

The Constitutional Court ruled that the government had acted unlawfully when it issued order 278/1997 to the Interior Ministry on April 22, 1997, withdrawing the question on presidential elections by popular vote from the referendum, which also included questions on NATO. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), Feb. 13, 1998]

February 9, 1998

"Representatives of the parliamentary factions of the Hungarian Coalition and the Slovak Democratic Coalition will not sit at a table with members of the governing coalition," announced Árpád Zólyomi Duka, Vice President of Co-Existence Political Movement, during an official reception of the European Council’s Finnish delegation in Parliament. The opposition protest was prompted by the Slovak government’s repeated violation of the Constitution. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), Feb. 10, 1998]

February 6, 1998

The repeated first round of the presidential election on the part of the Slovak Parliament was inconclusive as both opposition candidates failed to gather a necessary three-fifths majority. Stefan Markus, Slovak Democratic Coalition candidate, received 37 votes, while Juraj Hrasko of the Democratic Left-Wing Party obtained 24 votes. All together 90 or more votes would have been needed to elect the new president. Parliamentary Spokesman Ivan Gasparovic is likely to set the new round of voting on March 5, with the result that political negotiations may continue until then. [Fórum Institute (Dunajska Streda/Dunaszerdahely), Feb. 6, 1998; Central European Online (London), Feb. 6,1998]

February 4, 1998

President Michal Kovac, who will soon resign from his post, delivered a speech to Parliament, evaluating Slovakia’s current situation. With emphasis placed on adhering to laws, he called attention to the consequences of the government’s unconstitutional steps, mentioning, among others, last year’s referendum boycott, and the Gaudelier case. Regarding minority issues, President Kovac reminded the government of its failure to honor its commitment to adopt legislation on the use of minority languages. The majority members of the government coalition refused to listen to the presidential speech. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), Feb. 5, 1998]

"Washington possesses up-to-date information on the Slovak situation, and is aware of the circumstances, but it will not intervene in Slovakia’s internal affairs," stated Hungarian Christian Democratic Movement President Béla Bugár, who participated in the Slovak delegation, led by President Michal Kovac, that visited the United States. The delegation was received by top U.S. officials, among others, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. As Bugár reported, the United States confirmed that OSCE will send observers to monitor the campaign and the elections scheduled for September, whether or not the Slovak government issues an invitation. [Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), Feb. 5, 1998]

The European Union has set the following three tasks as Slovakia’s short-term priorities for EU membership: (1) free and fair elections, (2) the respect of the rights of opposition deputies, and (3) the adoption and implementation of law on minority languages. [Fórum Institute (Dunajska Streda/Dunaszerdahely), Feb. 4, 1998]

10,000 signatures have been collected to date on a petition calling the Slovak Parliament to adopt a law on minority languages (see report of January 27) The committee hopes to collect the necessary 100,000 signatures within two months. Zoltán Sidó, Chair of the Alliance of Hungarian Teachers, said the Slovak Constitution guarantees the right to officially use minority languages; however, due to the lack of a law this right cannot be exercised. Sidó also pointed out that Slovakia ratified the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention on the Protection of National Minorities and Regional Languages, supporting the right to native-language use, which went into effect on February 1, 1998.[Új Szó (Bratislava/Pozsony), Feb. 4, 1998]

February 3, 1998

The United States government will continue to raise its concerns over the policy of the Slovak leadership—was the message of a meeting between top-level U.S. officials and Slovak President Michal Kovac, who had his last official visit before expiration of his term on March 2. "The map of Europe today has a hole in it," said U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright when she characterized the situation of Slovakia. Steny Hoyer, member of the Congressional Helsinki Commission, sharply criticized the Slovak government for hindering the implementation of democratic principles. Furthermore, the 1997 Human Rights Report prepared by the U.S. State Department called attention, among others, to the alarming increase of intolerance against opposition views and the centralization of power. In the interim, Michal Kovac received praise from the U.S. government for demonstrating openness to western criticism and attempting to resolve conflicts. [Magyar Hírlap (Budapest), Feb. 3, 1998]

February 1, 1998

The Council of Europe’s Framework Convention on the Protection of National Minorities and Regional Languages went into effect today in 13 of the organization’s member states. The agreement, which Slovakia was one of the first to sign in 1993, guarantees broad political, cultural and religious rights for minorities, among others, the right to native-language education, while banning restrictive measures and forced assimilation. Miklós Duray, President of the Co-Existence Political Movement, stated that the implementation of the Council’s agreement in Slovakia is at the mercy of daily political circumstances and not governed by the rule of law. [Népszabadság (Budapest), Feb. 3, 1998]