President Assumed that Another Minister Would Have Stepped Down, Not Dolinkova

(TA3, October 6) I expected another minister of the current government to resign, not Health Minister Zuzana Dolinkova (Voice-SD), President Peter Pellegrini stated on TA3's discussion programme on Sunday, adding that he'll meet the outgoing cabinet member on Tuesday (October 8). The head of state stressed that he'll accept Dolinkova's resignation only after Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) brings an appropriate replacement. "So far I'm assuming that the coalition agreement isn't being opened, so party chairman Matus Sutaj Estok [Voice-SD] will probably come to the prime minister with a nominee for a new minister and the premier will agree with that. Unless otherwise, of course," said the president, adding that he'll proceed strictly in accordance with the Constitution, but will use the powers he has. MP Marian Viskupic (Freedom and Solidarity/SaS) reiterated the opposition party's position that the president should accept Dolinkova's resignation as soon as possible. Finance Minister Ladislav Kamenicky (Smer-SD) said that the health-care sector needs a crisis manager, claiming that he communicated with the Health Ministry during the preparation of the consolidation package, which also affected Dolinkova's sector and worried doctors. According to Kamenicky, doctors' salaries are at a higher level than in the Czech Republic or Poland, given Slovakia's average salary. MP Viskupic responded that there must be systemic changes in the health-care sector that will ensure more efficient functioning of the sector. According to him, the increase in doctors' salaries should have come out of a mutual discussion between the state and the health-care professionals. am