Danko: If It Helps Coalition, I Might Not Even Be House Vice-chair

Bratislava, September 24 (TASR) - If it helps improve the situation in the governing coalition, SNS head Andrej Danko is prepared to relinquish even his post of House Vice-chair, TASR learnt from Danko's press conference on Tuesday. Danko rejected the accusations raised by coalition Voice-SD party, according to which the SNS leader has been destabilising the coalition with his attacks against government ministers of Voice-SD. Danko emphasised that he respects Peter Ziga in his role as a vice-chair who heads Parliament temporarily. "I'm not interested in becoming the House chair and dealing with any of this at this stage. And I take objection to Voice-SD's attacks saying that SNS is breaking up this government," he claimed. The SNS leader also blasted President Peter Pellegrini for getting involved in coalition disputes. On Monday (September 23) while on a visit to the UN, Pellegrini stated: „I don't fully understand what the SNS chairman is up to, even though I get it that his personal, even childish aspiration to have some post likely makes him put his personal ambitions ahead of the country's interests." Danko underlined that Pellegrini has become the President also with support from SNS. "I hope he's not tempted by the devil into wanting a caretaker government. I take objection to having the President interfere with the coalition dispute. I hope that Voice will stop attacking me the way the President attacked me. It looks like (Labour Minister) Erik Tomas yesterday cried on his shoulder and the President, being in the party mood and having fun in America, didn't handle it too well." Danko expects an apology from the head of state. The SNS chair claimed that SNS nominees in the Government are doing their jobs and hence he has a right to ask how the ministers nominated by Voice-SD plan to save money. Danko added that his voters have been asking why they should pay for mistakes of previous governments and bear the burden of consolidation measures. mf/mcs