Smer-SD MP Munko Joining SNS Caucus

Bratislava, October 23 (TASR) - Smer-SD MP Dusan Munko is leaving the Smer parliamentary caucus to join the Slovak National Party (SNS) caucus in order for it to have the minimum number of MPs necessary to be preserved, as the SNS caucus lost three MPs on Tuesday. The change was announced on Wednesday by Smer caucus head Jan Richter, who stressed that Munko's reasons were purely formal and legal, and that he remains a member of the Smer-SD party. According to Richter, Munko joined the SNS caucus back on Tuesday, and the move was discussed within the coalition beforehand. He stressed that the existence of the three caucuses of the three coalition parties is vital from the point of view of parliamentary procedures. The three MPs who left the SNS caucus - Rudolf Huliak, Ivan Sevcik and Pavol Luptak - intend to observe the coalition agreement and support the government of Robert Fico. Huliak explained that ever since he and his colleagues requested that the name of the SNS caucus should be changed back in early October, they have been ignored and "kept in the dark" in terms of developments concerning the caucus. The SNS caucus originally had ten members. The House Rules of Procedure stipulate that a caucus must have at least eight members, meaning that without Munko's move the SNS caucus would have been dissolved after the departure of the three MPs. zel/df