If Definitive Deal Reached, Rasi Will Resign to Be Elected House Chair Instead

Bratislava, March 18 (TASR) - If a definitive agreement is reached with the MPs around Samuel Migal, Investment Minister Richard Rasi (Voice-SD) will submit his resignation so that he can be elected to the House chair post in Parliament next week, Rasi himself told a news conference on Tuesday, adding that he might resign at the end of this week or at the beginning of next. A regular parliamentary session is due to start on Tuesday (March 25), and the election of the House chair should be held on its first day, said Rasi. "I can no longer be a minister if I am to be nominated. If what this is heading towards holds firm, I should be sworn in as an MP on Tuesday," said Rasi. This will mean that he can give up his ministerial post early next week at the latest. "If the coalition agreement is to hold, this election should take place on the session's first day," said Rasi. Rasi referred to claims at the weekend that an agreement with the group of MPs around Migal is close to being reached. He'll step down when the definitive agreement with these MPs is signed. Rasi invited the MPs around Migal, including Radomir Salitros, to come to the Investment Ministry and discuss matters with State Secretaries Michal Kalinak and Ivan Ivancin, who, he stressed, are experts. He promised that Voice-SD will be more careful in future when choosing nominees to run on its slate in general elections. The House chair post has been vacant since April 2024, when Peter Pellegrini won the presidential election. In line with the coalition agreement, the post belongs to Voice-SD, which nominated Rasi for the post. The governing coalition still hasn't reached a definitive agreement on the new House chair election. The coalition is currently holding talks with the trio of MPs around Migal on their support. They could receive the Investment Ministry, which comes under Smer-SD's remit according to the new agreement. ko/df