Opposition to File Motion to Oust Justice Minister Kolikova

Bratislava, September 10 (TASR) – Independent lawmakers centered around Peter Pellegrini will table a motion to oust Justice Minister Maria Kolikova, Voice-SD leader Peter Pellegrini announced at a press conference on Friday.

Pellegrini claimed that Kolikova’s tenure raises doubts and that she is not a “reform tiger”.

Another cited reason is that she lost her right to hold the post by leaving the ‘For the People’ party, to which the Justice Ministry belongs. Pellegrini urged her to step down of her own volition.

A minimum of 30 lawmaker signatures are needed to initiate an ouster. Pellegrini claimed that the non-parliamentary Voice-SD has collected enough of them. Under the Rules of Procedure, House Chair Boris Kollar (We Are Family) is obliged to convene the session within seven days. Pellegrini expects Kolikova’s ouster to be included on the agenda of the regular session set to begin as of September 16.

Pellegrini maintains that suspicions of clientelism and a conflict of interest hang over Kolikova, as the rental of a Justice Ministry building was linked to her brother. “She hasn’t managed to dispel these suspicions to this date,” he claimed, adding that even Finance Minister Igor Matovic believes that Kolikova committed fraud.

The opposition also criticises Kolikova for her lack of new reform-oriented proposals in recent months. “Maria Kolikova hasn’t come up with anything in six months save for constant rows and disputes with her party colleague, chair Veronika Remisova,” said Pellegrini.

“Ms. Kolikova has lost political legitimacy in this Government because she no longer represents the party on whose slate she ran in the election. She claimed the post of justice minister based on those election results,” added Pellegrini.