Coalition Rejects Opposition's Criticism of Limiting Debate on Consolidation

Bratislava, 17 September (TASR) – Coalition MPs told journalists in Parliament on Wednesday that they reject criticism from the opposition that they are limiting the debate on the package of consolidation measures for next year, saying this after the House approved the end of the discussion on a fast-tracked legislative procedure and the shortening of the debate on the proposal at its first reading. "The opposition's criticism in this case is not factual. We've used the provisions that the Rules of Procedure allow us by law. So we aren't bending the law or established practices," said MP Michal Bartek (Voice-SD), pointing out that the speakers in the debate, which was supposed to discuss whether Parliament will adopt the consolidation measures in a so-called fast-tracked mode, deviated from the essence of the case. "They didn't speak to the context. They aren't supposed to comment on the substance of consolidation in that debate, but only on whether it should or shouldn't be discussed via a fast-tracked legislative procedure," he added. Parliamentary Vice-chair and leader of the coalition Slovak National Party (SNS) Andrej Danko explained that the discussion on the proposal for a fast-tracked legislative procedure on the package of consolidation measures was ended on the proposal of House Chair Richard Rasi (Voice-SD). "Rasi informed us of this. He made a decision and I respect it," he said, claiming that many MPs abuse the given institution and don't comment only on the fast-tracked legislative procedure but on the proposal as a whole. am/df