Debate that House Chair Post Should Be Held by Someone Else Closed for Voice-SD

Bratislava, September 10 (TASR) - The discussion that the House chair post should belong to someone else is closed for Voice-SD, party leader and Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok told a news conference on Tuesday. Sutaj Estok stressed that the party honours the coalition agreement and that distribution of powers in Parliament hasn't changed in any way since the general election. "For Voice-SD, it is a closed discussion that the House chair post should be held by someone else just because he wishes so," stated Sutaj Estok. "Voice-SD voters would never forgive us if we, despite their support, gave up responsibility for the second most senior constitutional post in the country, leaving it to someone based on their personal wish or an assumed moral claim," he said. According to Sutaj Estok, meeting the goals from the government manifesto is only possible if all coalition partners consider fulfilling the coalition program as their priority. Hard times can only be handled if coalition representatives do not put their own interests above the interests of the government. "It's unacceptable to bring further conflicts into the already polarised Slovak society, as it reduces people's trust in the government and its ability to address their real problems," stated the minister. Sutaj Estok added that partners at the Coalition Council meeting on Monday (September 9) agreed to move some bills from the current session, to continue discussing them and only then submitting them to Parliament. "We will insist that they comply with the coalition agreement, and if the coalition agreement is not respected, Voice-SD is ready to limit its political activity to the implementation of the government manifesto," he said. The post of parliamentary chair became vacant following Peter Pellegrini's victory in the presidential election in April. In line with the coalition agreement, the post belongs to Voice-SD, but SNS has claimed it as well. According to Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD), the situation could be handled in such a way that either Danko will become the House chair or Ziga will continue in his current role. Sutaj Estok said that if Ziga was to remain in this post until the end of the electoral term, Voice-SD would accept it. ko/mcs