Premier Fico: Parliament Should Greenlight STVR Bill before Summer

Dolna Krupa, April 24 (TASR) - Parliament should approve the draft law on Slovak Television and Radio (STVR) before the summer, said Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) following the government's away-from-home session in Dolna Krupa (Trnava region) on Wednesday, adding that the House won't discuss the bill via a fast-tracked legislative procedure. According to Fico, the government approved the draft law practically without comments, and the premier praised the consensus in the coalition, which was preceded by an intensive debate. He reiterated that the current RTVS needs change, as does its management. For the prime minister, the primary argument is the bias shown by RTVS, which is "in a constant battle with the government", and thus in a violation of the citizens' right to objective information. "This is also a response to the demands of the coalition's voters, who are asking us to finally do something about RTVS," said the prime minister. The premier stressed that the bill will go through a proper legislative process in Parliament. "It won't be a fast-tracked procedure," he stressed, assuming that within 15 days Parliament could discuss the proposal at its first reading, and that the House should approve the law itself at the June session. am/df