SaS: If Sasko Rejects Government's Pandemic Stance, He Should Resign

Bratislava, May 19 (TASR) - If Health Minister Kamil Sasko (Voice-SD) disagrees with the Slovak government's decision to reject the so-called pandemic treaty, he should resign, stated Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) leader Branislav Groehling on Monday, adding that otherwise Sasko would bear full responsibility for the government's stance. "If Minister Kamil Sasko truly disagrees with the government's decision, he should resign. If he doesn't, he's directly responsible for this decision," Groehling stated at a press conference. He added that Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) allowed the Government Proxy for Investigating COVID-19 Pandemic Management Peter Kotlar to make decisions on the matter while being influenced by conspiracy theories. Meanwhile, two hospitals are being built by the Defence Ministry. "And Sasko is merely watching in disbelief as the ministry slips out of his hands," said the SaS leader, adding that this represents the loss of yet another ministry for Voice-SD. SaS MP Tomas Szalay warned that by rejecting the pandemic treaty, Slovakia is placing itself on the fringes of the international community, explaining that the agreement would help countries prepare for future pandemics by enabling the sharing of data, research collaboration and access to diagnostics, treatments and vaccines. Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) announced over the weekend that, according to the government's decision, the Slovak delegation at the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, won't support the pandemic treaty and will also request that it be put to a vote rather than adopted by global consensus. The Health Minister doesn't consider the decision to be right. Neither he nor the Voice-SD party supports Slovakia's rejection of the treaty. According to him, the agreement doesn't restrict national sovereignty or take away anyone's freedom to decide how to respond in the event of a pandemic. The 78th session of the World Health Assembly is taking place in Geneva from 19 to 27 May. The wording of a pandemic agreement aimed at better preparing for and combating pandemics has been under negotiation for several years. lin/df