Opposition Insists on Ousting Interior Minister Sutaj Estok

Bratislava, November 26 (TASR) - With the opposition insisting on its no-confidence motion in Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok (Voice-SD), several opposition representatives on Tuesday named their reasons why the minister should be ousted. The Progressive Slovakia (PS) party mentioned what it called the disastrous record of the minister. PS representatives lambasted Sutaj Estok for the state of affairs in the Police Corps, for failing to address reoccurring bomb threats to schools, spreading disinformation during the most recent presidential election campaign and an incident during which a police officer beat a detainee to death. "Sutaj Estok should never have held the post of interior minister and should not continue to do so, because he is neither professionally, humanly nor personally qualified to do so," said PS leader Michal Simecka. The Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) is also against Sutaj Estok continuing as interior minister. The movement blamed him for problems in the Police Corps, his alleged failure to address the situation with resignations by police officers, a settlement concluded between Czech ex-prime minister Andrej Babis and the Interior Ministry, and the security situation that arose following the adoption of an amendment to the Penal Code. It also drew attention to cases of police brutality. "The minister is failing to handle his role. He is taking revenge. He doesn't address the fact that there are not enough police officers, he doesn't address systematic measures," said KDH MP Frantisek Majersky. The Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) is also calling for the minister's dismissal. SaS MP Juraj Krupa called Sutaj Estok a disaster for the ministry. "This individual hasn't matured enough to be the interior minister," he noted, pointing to escalating police brutality and a worsening security situation. "In my opinion, it is at its lowest point in about 15 years," he opined. Krupa also alleged that the minister has "completely dismantled the functioning of the Police Corps". zel/mcs