Kiska: People Should Vote in VUC Elections to Prevent Extremist Success

Poprad, November 4 (TASR) – President Andrej Kiska cast his vote in the regional elections in the company of his wife Martina in his native town of Poprad (Presov region) on Saturday, calling on people in the country to imitate him because regional authorities decide on an array of things in people’s lives and because there’s a danger that extremist elements could enjoy success in these elections.

“I want to call on all people to go to vote for two reasons. The first one is that regional elections are about our ordinary lives, about schools, hospitals, roads and culture, while the second reason, perhaps even more important, is that [the elections decide] the orientation of our country. So they’re about extremists and new-era fascists not getting [enough] votes,” said the president.

Kiska believes that regional governors and councillors should view Slovakia as a modern pro-European country.

Meanwhile, the president complained about insufficient infrastructure and health care in some regions, stating that the new regional authorities should do more in this respect.

At the same time he commented on the possibility of introducing internet ballots and other ways of remote voting, given that the regional elections have traditionally low turnouts [around 20 percent – ed. note]. “It’s up to Parliament to increase the turnout in elections,” he stated.

The president further said that his wife didn’t have exactly the same opinion on individual candidates in Presov region.

“I know exactly whom she circled, while she knows for whom I gave my vote. We didn’t agree on all names, but that’s democracy,” added the president.