President: Departure of Police President Gaspar Only Bare Minimum

Bratislava, April 17 (TASR) – The departure of Police Corps President Tibor Gaspar is only the required minimum, and the Government needs to “start working”, said President Andrej Kiska on Tuesday.

Kiska was speaking in response to the news that Gaspar will step down on May 31.

“I welcome the fact that the prime minister [Peter Pellegrini] has decided to start putting the Interior Ministry in order himself [as acting interior minister]. I view the announced departure of Police President Gaspar at the end of May as a necessary prerequisite for the Government of Peter Pellegrini to attempt to defuse the situation in society,” wrote Kiska on his social network status update.

According to Kiska, Gaspar squandered every “opportunity to make a more-or-less dignified departure”.

The head of state underlined the importance of picking out the right person for the job of interior minister. “Trust in the entire Government hinges on how resolute the steps taken by the Interior Ministry will be and the ability to promote trustworthy people to police leadership posts,” he said, adding that the new minister must increase guarantees of independence and objectivity when it comes to the investigation into the murders of journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancee.

“A month after the appointment of the new Government is really high time to assume responsibility, move forward and address the accumulated problems. People expect clear signals that politicians have grasped their discontent, indignation and the reasons for their lack of trust in the state,” stated Kiska.