If OLaNO Is Successful in Election, It Won't Give Up Opportunity to Nominate PM
(Markiza, ‘Na telo’, February 9)
OLaNO party leader Igor Matovic refused to say on TV Markiza’s show ‘Na telo’ (Tough Questions) on Sunday who could become the prime minister if his party wins the upcoming election, adding that OLaNO wouldn’t give up the opportunity to nominate the premier in favour of another party while indicating that his party has several capable people but he doesn’t want to name anyone at this point.
Progressive Slovakia (PS)/Together coalition leader Michal Truban thinks that voters have the right to know people in a party and their potential posts, noting that Matovic is a good marketer. Despite the disagreements, he doesn’t exclude post-election cooperation with him.
“The prime minister is a person nominated by the winning party, so I understand that if the election ended up in this way, our party would nominate a person to become prime minister,” said Matovic, noting that OLaNO members themselves have been surprised by the party’s dramatic increase in support in the polls. For this reason they haven’t yet addressed the issue of the prime minister’s post, so he doesn’t want to be unfair and name somebody.
Truban admitted that PS/Together might have made a mistake by speaking long ago about the post of premier. He explained that after the two-party coalition’s first successes in the polls, it expected such questions from the media, so it communicated in this manner. According to Truban, people have the right to know who would hold what post.
The leaders also discussed a vote on the priorities of the future government that OLaNO launched on Saturday (February 8). According to Matovic, it gives people the opportunity to participate in managing the state. Truban claimed that the survey is a marketing drive aimed at collecting personal data for marketing purposes. He criticised populist questions and the setting of conditions for future cooperation. He also considers it irresponsible to haunt people with the spectre of an early election. “There isn’t any government yet, but you’re already talking about an early election,” said Truban.
“I don’t know how I can tear down something that hasn’t been built yet,” said Matovic, claiming that the attitude of the other opposition parties reflects the old way of engaging politics in which people aren’t given the chance to get involved in state administration.
