Danko: Coalition Has Free Hands in Voting on Election Method of Judges
![Danko: Coalition Has Free Hands in Voting on Election Method of Judges](/content/images/size/w1200/wordpress/2019/09/Danko-1.jpg)
Bratislava, September 11 (TASR) – The coalition parties Smer-SD, Slovak National Party (SNS) and Most-Hid will have free hands when voting on the method of election of candidates for Constitutional Court judges, Parliamentary Chair Andrej Danko (SNS) said on Wednesday.
“The position of SNS does not change in this matter. I have seen that both Smer-SD and Most-Hid can set themselves up this way,” said Danko. According to him, they will wait for which method of election will be selected, stressing that the coalition parties have free hands in this. He added that they would then vote responsibly according to a method that will be approved.
Since the beginning a public vote has been demanded by the opposition while the coalition pushed for a secret ballot. However, after the last election, Most-Hid and SNS started to say they wanted a public vote. Smer-SD insisted on a secret ballot. Erik Tomas of Smer-SD recently admitted for TASR that Smer-SD could also vote in a public election, if a majority that will vote in favour of it is found in Parliament. Most-Hid chairman Bela Bugar recently reiterated that the party insists on a public vote.
At the September meeting, MPs will select candidates for Constitutional Court judges in the fifth election. Sixteen candidates are applying for the post of constitutional judge. Four more candidates are needed to make up the full number of judges at the Constitutional Court.