Danko: Meciar's Amnesties Should Be Dealt with by Constitutional Court

Bratislava, December 7 (TASR) – The issue of abrogating Vladimir Meciar’s 1998 amnesties should be resolved by the Constitutional Court, thinks Parliamentary Chair and Slovak National Party (SNS) leader Andrej Danko.

For the moment, Danko harbours the conviction that Parliament cannot lawfully abrogate the amnesties. “If the Constitutional Court says that Parliament can do away with them, however, every single soul in our caucus will vote aye with both hands and feet,” Danko said on the radio Express talk show.

Danko urged both Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) and President Andrej Kiska to file a complaint with the Constitutional Court. Although he condemns circumstances surrounding Meciar’s amnesties, Danko is in favour of a “comprehensive resolution” to the issue.

At its next session, Parliament is slated to deliberate on an opposition-sponsored proposal to abrogate Meciar’s amnesties. A total of 90 votes is required for the passing of the legislation. Currently in second reading, the motion has garnered the support of opposition and governing Most-Hid, but not Smer-SD and SNS.

The amnesties issued in 1998 by then acting president Vladimir Meciar are linked to the 1995 kidnapping of former president Michal Kovac’s son abroad as well as the case of a thwarted referendum. The former administration of Slovak Intelligence Service (SIS), then headed by Ivan Lexa, is suspected of the kidnapping. The case is also linked to the murder of former police investigator Robert Remias.