PM Fico’s Resignation Not Enough – Slovaks Demand Early Elections

Bratislava, March 15 (CTK) – The organisers of anti-government protests in Slovakia are not satisfied with the resignation of Prime Minister Robert Fico after the murder of journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancee, and they demand early elections, they said in their statement today.

 

Civic activists, who have staged the biggest demonstrations in Slovakia’s 25-year history, thereby reacted to the statement by Fico, the longest-serving Slovak head of government, who made his resignation conditional on the continuation of the current three-party government coalition of his Smer-Social Democracy (Smer-SD), the Slovak National Party (SNS) and Most-Hid.

 

“We need a new chance for decent and just Slovakia and this is why we demand early elections. At the moment, this is the only possibility to restore public trust in the state. The only possibility to return decency to politics,” the organisers said.

 

They originally demanded the resignation of the whole government, which would actually fall after the PM’s resignation under the Slovak constitution.

 

The protest organisers also said in their statement that the chairmen of the three coalition parties had humiliated and deceived the public and that their effort to stay in power at any costs proved that they would attempt to sweep all corruption cases under the carpet.

 

Fico (Smer-Social Democracy) said a condition for his stepping down would be that President Andrej Kiska, who would appoint a new prime minister in accordance with the constitution, respect the current government coalition majority.

 

Kiska has not commented on Fico’s proposals yet.

 

More than a week ago, Kiska proposed a government reshuffle or an early general election as possible solutions to the crisis that flared up in the country after the journalist’s murder.