Election24: Korcok Hands in over 40,000 Signatures for Presidential Fight

        Bratislava, January 19 (TASR) - Diplomat and former Foreign Affairs Minister Ivan Korcok submitted on Friday a petition to Parliament with the signatures required for a presidential candidacy.
        Korcok has collected over 40,000 signatures from citizens. He announced his intention to run at the end of August last year.
        According to the ex-foreign minister, the last days and weeks have shown that the presidential election will be extremely important for Slovakia. "It will be a matter of whether there will be an assistant to the prime minister [Robert Fico (Smer-SD)] in the presidential office or someone who can cooperate on the one hand, but who will also be able to show a clear position, clearly stand against things that are not right," he stressed at a press briefing.
        Korcok offers independence and non-partisanship as well as an active approach. He wants to be a president who will tell the truth to the people and encourage them. He pointed out that power in the country can't be held in the hands of one group, he emphasised the need for balance. However, according to him, this is not enough, there must be a counterbalance somewhere. He pointed to the current situation, when the governing coalition is making "deep cuts to the judiciary system", he is also bothered by the fact that the government is "turning around" in foreign policy and creating strange alliances.
        The first round of the presidential election will be held on March 23, with a potential second round slated to take place on April 6. Current President Zuzana Caputova's term in office will expire on June 15. She won't re-run for the post. Candidates are allowed to spend a maximum of half a million euros on campaigning. The campaign will end with a 48-hour election moratorium.