Danko: Voice-SD Violated Coalition Agreement by Supporting Plavakova's Objection

Bratislava, September 25 (TASR) - The co-governing Voice-SD party violated the coalition agreement when MPs of this party supported the objection filed by opposition MP Lucia Plavakova (Progressive Slovakia/PS) regarding her expulsion from the parliamentary chamber, claimed junior governing Slovak National Party (SNS) leader and House Vice-chair Andrej Danko on Wednesday. Danko, standing behind his decision to order the MP out of the House chamber for having stickers on her computer, wants the issue to be raised at a Coalition Council meeting. "You witnessed the first political betrayal by Voice-SD, as the coalition agreement clearly states that Voice-SD cannot vote in favour of an opposition proposal. This was a gross violation of the coalition agreement," Danko told journalists on Wednesday. He pointed out that Voice-SD often refers to the coalition agreement. "This is the first vote in which Voice-SD has directly ensured a victory for PS," he stated. The SNS leader stressed that he had warned Plavakova before that he wouldn't accept her using a computer with various stickers on it when speaking on the podium. "An MP isn't allowed to promote any issue by visual aids," he said, adding that he's always been a supporter of adherence to the Rules of Procedure. Danko expelled Plavakova from the House chamber following a 'verbal shoot-out' on Wednesday morning. He referred to the Rules of Procedure, which states that it is forbidden to bring materials promoting "a political party or spreading advertising" to a House session. He objected to the fact that the MP has stickers promoting an LGBTI movement on her computer. Plavakova filed an objection against his decision and MPs supported it in a subsequent vote. House Vice-chair Peter Ziga (Voice-SD), who is currently in charge of managing Parliament, announced following a session of the parliamentary gremium that the situation will be dealt with by the parliamentary constitutional committee. He views it as necessary to modify the Rules of Procedure in order to make its interpretation clear. ko/df