Most-Hid and SNS Support Public Election, Smer-SD Wants Secret Vote

Bratislava, February 11 (TASR) - The coalition partners met in Parliament on the evening before the election of candidates for constitutional judges, TASR learnt on Monday, with spokesman for Parliamentary Chair Andrej Danko (Slovak National Party/SNS) Tomas Kostelnik confirming that the talks were held, but he and individual leaders did not provide any more information to the media. The co-governing Most-Hid party said on Monday it will support a public election of candidates for judges of the Constitutional Court. According to party spokesperson Klara Debnar, Most-Hid wants to rule out any speculation regarding backstage agreements with the far-right LSNS party in this way. Danko in this connection stated that he prefers a public election of candidates for constitutional judges, adding that SNS MPs will have a free hand in the election. The Smer-SD party continues to support a secret election of candidates. "We regard the secret vote as an achievement and element of democracy. We perceive the change to a public election to be a return before 1989. Constitutional Court judges should be independent, so they shouldn't know who elected them," said party spokesman Jan Mazgut. Parliament is set to elect candidates for constitutional judges on Tuesday (February 12). MPs should select 18 from 39 applicants for the posts and submit them to the president, who should then appoint nine judges to serve at the Constitutional Court for 12 years. am/mcs