Conflict of Interest Committee to Look into Environment Ministry Nominations

Bratislava, November 5 (TASR) - The House Conflict of Interest Committee is supposed to look into individuals hired in the Environment Ministry's posts that require expertise, as the non-parliamentary 'Democrats' party filed a complaint over partisan nominations by Environment Minister Tomas Taraba (SNS nominee) on Tuesday. The 'Democrats' insist that expert posts are divided among three parties: SNS, non-parliamentary Life, with which Taraba is involved, and non-parliamentary National Coalition headed by MP Rudolf Huliak (Independent). The 'Democrats' filed the motion to protect the public interest over "partisan nominations by minister Taraba and the other three organisations on the slate of SNS, which have literally invaded and occupied the ministry portfolio," Michal Kica (Democrats) stated at a press conference. In the motion, the party identified 19 posts, which have been filled not based on expertise but along partisan lines in an unprecedented manner, including top posts of the State Nature Protection, Slovak Caves Administration, Slovak Environmental Inspectorate, Bojnice National Zoo, Slovak Museum of Mining and the Slovak Water Management Company. Kica added that they decided to file the motion after Huliak publicly conceded that his party nominees have lost their jobs in the wake of his dispute with SNS chair Andrej Danko. mf/mcs