KDH against Government's Purpose-built Actions Related to Appointing SIS Head

Bratislava, February 23 (TASR) - The Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) on Friday spoke out against what it called the purpose-built actions of the governing coalition aimed at finding ways to appoint Pavol Gaspar to the post of head of the Slovak Intelligence Service (SIS). According to the movement, the institution already has a tainted reputation both domestically and internationally. It opined that Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) is playing games with democratic principles and returning Slovakia to the era of ex-prime minister Vladimir Meciar. "We don't think in KDH that circumventing the rules and looking for shortcuts for appointing Pavol Gaspar is helping SIS. This institution is supposed to have a proper leadership appointed by the president. It's in her powers, and by looking for new ways, Prime Minister Fico is calling into question the institution's reputation at the international level," said KDH MP Frantisek Majersky. KDH has been questioning Gaspar's suitability for the post since the moment when he was nominated by the government. According to the movement, it's impossible to tell from his CV whether he has any experience with intelligence services, and it's unlikely that he'll be accepted by the international intelligence community. Fico said on Thursday that SIS will have a new head within several days. The SIS head is appointed to the post by the president based on a proposal from the government. President Zuzana Caputova said recently that she's considering leaving the appointment of a new SIS head to her successor at the Presidential Palace, however. zel/df