Sutaj Estok: House Chair Election to Be Stabilising Element for Coalition

(JOJ 24,'Politika 24', March 2) Speaking on JOJ 24's discussion programme 'Politika 24' (Politics 24) on Sunday, Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok (Voice-SD) said that the election of the House chair will be an important stabilising element for the governing coalition, adding that they will deal with it in the upcoming days. The interior minister reiterated that the coalition has the de jure support from 77 MPs at the moment. "I believe that, after agreement, Parliament could elect its chair and settle all the remaining personnel issues either Tuesday or Wednesday," he said. According to Sutaj Estok, electing the House chair will be a symbol of a political restart for the coalition. He welcomes Premier Robert Fico's (Smer-SD) agreement with MPs around Rudolf Huliak (Independent). The new arrangement at the Investment and Regional Development Ministry [formerly controlled by Voice-SD - ed.note] is in the hands of Smer-SD, stated Sutaj Estok, adding that President Peter Pellegrini will subsequently have to accept the nomination as part of his constitutional powers. He said that it's up to the Smer-SD party to agree on the names within the newly acquired ministries. "That's why we handed them over: in order to restore the 79. You must ask our coalition partners about the state of the negotiations," said Sutaj Estok. The minister noted that his negotiations with the Voice-SD defectors led to nothing. "Today, these gentlemen are negotiating with the Smer-SD party. I believe that if they failed to find an agreement in the Voice party, they will find it in Smer," he said. The debate also touched the issue of the assassination attempt on Premier Robert Fico. Sutaj Estok thinks that the crime has been qualified as a terrorist attack for legitimate reasons. "This wasn't an attack on Robert Fico, no one decided to shoot Robert Fico as a private individual, it was an attack on the premier," explained the interior minister. ko