Matovic Brings Pictures to Parliament, Session on Fico Interrupted

Bratislava, February 14 (TASR) – The extraordinary parliamentary session with the no-confidence motion in Prime Minister Robert Fico on the agenda was interrupted shortly after it was opened on Tuesday afternoon, as opposition OLaNO-NOVA leader Igor Matovic tried to present pictures, a move deemed by Parliamentary Chairman Andrej Danko (Slovak National Party/SNS) as contrary to the Rules of Procedure.

“I ask you to refrain from breaking the Rules of Procedure. You’ve brought prohibited visual materials into the chamber. Consider this as my call for you to carry the visual materials out of the room before your presentation. If you don’t comply, I have the right to expel you from the chamber,” Danko told Matovic.

The latter argued by stating that the pictures he was holding in his hands represented an official addendum to the Opposition’s proposal for Fico’s dismissal.

“I know you believe that you’ve banned this via the Rules of Procedure, but the latter allows any MP to attach any visual documents as an addendum to the official proposal. So, these [pictures] are part of an official addendum to the proposal on dismissing the prime minister; they aren’t just visual materials. It’s my right [to present them],” said Matovic.

The official proposal for Fico’s removal as published on Parliament’s website contains the aforementioned 19 pictures.

Nevertheless, Danko didn’t appear to have agreed with Matovic’s arguments, and he subsequently interrupted the session and convened a meeting of the parliamentary gremium.

After the gremium, Danko appeared before journalists and announced that the no-confidence motion in Fico would continue on Thursday. Meanwhile, Matovic was officially registered as non-attendant at the session, and will face a disciplinary motion.