Smer-SD Takes Objection to TIS Chart, Sees It In Conflict of Interest

Bratislava, December 5 (TASR) - Governing Smer-SD emphatically rejects assessment by Transparency International Slovensko (TIS), according to which Smer-SD has the least transparent campaign financing among all Slovak political parties, TASR learnt on Thursday. "Smer-SD campaign is fully transparent and legal, with all expenditure recorded in a transparent account. We're in compliance with the law and, unlike Mr. (For People chair Andrej) Kiska, we don't campaign as early as a year away from the election via a civic association and we also observe the legal expenditure limit on campaigning," stated party spokesman Jan Mazgut. Mazgut pointed out that wife of Together party chair Miroslav Beblavy, Emilia Sicakova-Beblava, stood at the helm of TIS until 2009. "And since 2009, she's been still with this NGO in the role of program director, which in and of itself challenges any claim by TIS NGO in terms of objectivity and independence," he said, pointing out that TIS awarded the coalition of Progressive Slovakia-Together the first place on the chart. "We see a clear conflict of interest in this." Mazgut added that if TIS intends to portray itself as an independent organisation, it should start grilling Kiska, who waged a "massive billboard campaign across entire Slovakia many long months" prior to the campaigning period. Smer-SD also maintains that Kiska's campaign was illicitly financed in a non-transparent manner via Je Nas Viac (There's More of Us) civic association. mf