Opposition Initiates Special House Session, Calling for Gaspar's Ouster

Bratislava, 17 October (TASR) – The opposition has submitted a proposal to convene a special emergency session of Parliament to adopt a resolution calling for the dismissal of Pavol Gaspar from his post as director of the Slovak Information Service (SIS), citing multiple alleged failures, representatives of opposition parties Freedom and Solidarity (SaS), Progressive Slovakia (PS), Christian Democratic Movement (KDH), and Democrats announced at a press conference on Friday. „For a long time, I have said that we should unite over matters crucial for this country and set aside those that divide us. This is one of the fundamental issues that unites us – the security of our country. The result of this unity is also the collected signatures calling for an extraordinary session to pass a resolution urging the government to remove Pavol Gaspar,” stated Branislav Groehling, leader of SaS, which initiated the proposal. The opposition reiterated its call for Gaspar’s removal, arguing that SIS has become untrustworthy under his leadership. „His tenure as SIS director poses a direct threat to the safety of all of us and to the republic as a whole,” said Zuzana Stevulova (PS). Opposition members pointed to several alleged failings, including Gaspar’s involvement in a traffic accident and questions surrounding his financial disclosures. Concerns were also raised about whether he is adequately safeguarding classified information. MP Peter Stachura (KDH) criticised Gaspar’s thesis, labelling it a case of plagiarism. The opposition urged the ruling coalition not to block the session, which must be convened within seven days. „If they block the session and it does not take place at all, that will be explicit proof that they do not care about the reputational damage being caused — not only domestically but internationally — and are willing to take part in it themselves,” said independent MP Lubomir Galko, a member of the extra-parliamentary Democrats party. House Chair Richard Rasi (Voice-SD) confirmed to TASR that the proposal was received and the session will be convened in accordance with parliamentary rules. „However, the delivery of this proposal has created a legally ambiguous situation, since the opposition is requesting a session with a single agenda item that is already included in the approved programme of the ongoing 40th session. For this reason, I am considering requesting an opinion from the House Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee on how to proceed with this item,” he explained. mf