Pellegrini Back To The Drawing Board: Promises President Kiska New Govt Lineup Wednesday

Bratislava, March 20 (CTK) – Probable future Slovak prime minister Peter Pellegrini (Smer-Social Democracy) will send a new proposal of the government composition to President Andrej Kiska, who rejected the original line-up earlier today, on Wednesday, Pellegrini has told journalists.

 

Pellegrini said he would propose Health Minister Tomas Drucker to the post of interior minister. At first, it was to be occupied by Jozef Raz Junior, a son of the lead singer of the Elan rock band.

 

Kiska has expressed reservations about Raz.

 

Raz Jr has friendly relations to outgoing interior minister Robert Kalinak (Smer-Social Democracy), according to the Slovak media.

 

Last week, Kalinak was forced to resign over the murder of investigative journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancee in late February. The scandal also forced Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-Social Democracy) to step down.

 

The post of health minister is to go to the state secretary at the ministry or the deputy minister, Andrea Kalavska.

 

“For the sake of a solution to the situation in the shortest possible time, we have decided that I will deliver a new proposal to appoint government members to Kiska,” Pellegrini said.

 

Last week, Kiska empowered him to form a new government.

 

Pellegrini said he had already consulted Kiska on the new government line-up.

 

Pellegrini questioned Kiska’s possible rejection of the new proposal.

 

“I want to express the belief that these steps do not create a dangerous precedent in Slovakia, within which any head of state might stop respecting the parliamentary majority,” he added.

 

Under the constitution, the president can freely chose the prime minister, though there is the tradition that this should be the person who may rely on a majority in the parliament.

 

The current three-party coalition government has a comfortable majority in the parliament.

 

On the proposal of the prime minister, the president must appoint the government members.

 

However, Pellegrini has not yet been named the prime minister.

 

The opposition demands an early election. The regular election is to only take place in 2020.