Bugar: I See No Reason for Snap Election

Bugar: I See No Reason for Snap Election

Bratislava, March 20 (TASR) – Leader of the coalition Most-Hid party Bela Bugar doesn’t see a reason for an early election at the moment, as 79 MPs have clearly declared support for a new government, TASR learnt on Tuesday.

Responding to President Andrej Kiska’s decision not to appoint designated Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini’s (Smer-SD) proposed cabinet, Bugar said that the coalition’s next move will be decided at a Coalition Council session later on Tuesday.

Regarding the nomination of Jozef Raz Jr. to the post of interior minister, against which Kiska expressed his reservations, the Most-Hid head stressed that his party has accepted this person. Bugar added that he doesn’t know which of the other nominations are a problem for the president. “We are not from Mars, we live in reality. Do you think the president called us and told us who the problem is? No. He declared something today and we’ll have a coalition meeting [to discuss it]. If we come to a solution, we will let you know,” he said.

At the same time Bugar rejected the idea that behind Kiska’s decision not to appoint the cabinet proposed by Pellegrini might be his intention to set up a caretaker government. “There are more alternatives, trust me,” he added.

Representatives of the senior coalition Smer-SD party haven’t responded to the situation yet.

Meanwhile Opposition We Are Family leader Boris Kollar responded to Kiska’s decision by saying that the president’s move must be respected. Kollar added that he doesn’t know the details for why the president rejected the nomination of Jozef Raz Jr. as the interior minister.

Kollar reiterated that for his party the most appropriate and most transparent solution to the current situation is a snap election.

Earlier on Tuesday Kiska announced that he won’t appoint the new cabinet proposed to him by Pellegrini, and he asked the designated premier to come up with a new line-up of nominees for government members by Friday (March 23).