Monitor: Sutaj Estok: 'Lex Assassination Attempt' Bill Won't Be Controversial

(RTVS, 'O 5 minut 12', June 2) Upcoming legislative changes surrounding the so-called "Lex Assassination Attempt" in the wake of the shooting of Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) won't be controversial and the coalition would like to have them submitted to the parliamentary session in June, Interior Minister and new Voice-SD chair Matus Sutaj Estok said on RTVS's discussion programme 'O 5 minut 12' (Five Minutes to Twelve) on Sunday. Leader of opposition's Progressive Slovakia (PS) Michal Simecka proposed that the coalition and opposition should draft and approve the measures together, so as to send the public a signal of reconciliation. "The new law will say that the top three constitutional officials must have their official residence guaranteed by the state and when you [Simecka -ed.note] become the House Chair or the Prime Minister, you will live in that house, so as to have sufficient security," Sutaj Estok described one of the proposals. Simecka expects an analysis of the assassination attempt to take place first to determine who made mistakes and what measures must be approved. "I trust that anything you'd like to put through Parliament as "Lex Assassination Attempt" should be directly based on investigation results," he noted. Sutaj Estok called for the end to the spreading of hatred and blamed Simecka for staging opposition protests in this context. The PS leader retorted that the Government shouldn't confuse factual criticism with hatred and pointed out that PS had made several calls on the protesters to behave politely. Simecka will keep his fingers crossed for president-elect Peter Pellegrini to succeed in his declared plan to "mend fences" in society and voiced his sadness that the roundtable of all political parties, initiated by Pellegrini and outgoing President Zuzana Caputova, failed to happen. "I hope [Pellegrini] won't abandon the initiative," said Simecka. Sutaj Estok welcomes the roundtable idea, but also respects the stance of Smer-SD, which intends to have its chair Fico present at it. The minister added that Pellegrini had stepped down as the Voice-SD chair and acquired the post of founding chair. "[Pellegrini] has bid farewell to the party. He's fully aware that the president must be non-partisan and serve all people," claimed Sutaj Estok. Simecka noted that after her election as the President, Zuzana Caputova terminated all of her ties with Progressive Slovakia completely and acted non-partisan. mf