Premier Doesn't Expect Single Electoral District to Be Dropped from Constitution

Bratislava, 13 June (TASR) - Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) doesn't think that a provision on a single (nationwide) electoral district would be dropped from the Constitution, Fico himself told a news conference following an inspection day at the Culture Ministry on Friday, adding that he knows the situation in Parliament. "I assume that such a proposal will be submitted, as MPs have the right to do so either in a parliamentary committee, or directly in a plenary session. But as far as I know Slovak reality, this provision won't be dropped from the Slovak Constitution," he said, adding that he mainly dealt with cultural and ethical issues in the draft amendment to the Slovak Constitution. Junior governing Slovak National Party (SNS) leader Andrej Danko told a news conference earlier on Friday that SNS MPs will vote for the government's draft amendment to the Constitution, but they won't support a proposal by Voice-SD stating that the provision on a single electoral district for general elections should be dropped from the Constitution. At the same time, Danko said that an agreement on value issues in the constitutional amendment had been reached with part of the opposition, which "looks like a compromise." The agreement with the coalition has also been confirmed by opposition Christian Democrats (KDH) caucus head Igor Janckulik. MPs operating in the Christian Union (KU) have agreed on the wording with the coalition as well. According to the agreement, proposals regarding a ban on surrogacy and the right of a child to know his/her parents, i.e. that the mother is a woman and the father is a man, will be added to the Constitution. Janckulik said that KDH managed to push through all of its priorities except for strengthening conscientious objection. All KDH MPs except Frantisek Miklosko will vote for KDH's amending proposals. ko/df