Erik Tomas: Voice-SD to Nominate Richard Rasi for Parliamentary Chair
Bratislava, April 15 (TASR) - Richard Rasi will be Voice-SD party's nominee for the post of parliamentary chair, Labour Minister and party vice-chairman Erik Tomas said in a discussion show on Radio Expres on Monday.
Tomas insists that the post still belongs to Voice-SD after party leader and former House chair Peter Pellegrini was elected as the president.
"We'll demand that the coalition agreement be respected. If there's to be any trust between the partners, it should be based on the coalition agreement and the Government Manifesto," stressed Tomas, adding that the election of Pellegrini as president didn't change the number of MPs and the political map. He noted that Voice-SD vice-chairwoman Denisa Sakova had decided to continue her work as economy minister. He didn't say who will replace Rasi as investment and informatisation minister.
Tomas doesn't expect support from the opposition in the election of a new parliamentary chair and he therefore stressed that the coalition must choose him. "If there's no agreement, there will be no election. But nothing will happen, it won't disrupt the running of Parliament," he said, pointing out that the House is now being headed by Parliamentary Vice-Chair Peter Ziga (Voice-SD). Tomas added that Pellegrini's place will be taken by a substitute and the laws of the ruling coalition should pass.
Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) said over the weekend that the 'trio' including President Pellegrini, himself as premier and Slovak National Party (SNS) leader Andrej Danko as head of Parliament would point to the stability of the governing coalition. He described this as his political opinion, as he respects that the post belongs to Voice-SD according to the valid coalition agreement. He spoke of the need for an agreement. Voice-SD responded that it doesn't share Fico's opinion.
Danko said after the presidential election that SNS is ready to talk about the conditions for the future functioning of the coalition because the political map is fundamentally changing after the presidential election.
