President: I'm Not Sure Whether Voice-SD Didn't Stray from Path I Outlined

(TA3,'V politike', 21 December) The coalition Voice-SD party should ask itself whether it will adhere to its expert-oriented approach, providing a counterbalance to the coalition’s actions, or it is diverging from this path, Voice-SD founder and current President Peter Pellegrini said on TA3's discussion programme 'V politike' (In Politics) on Sunday. "As the founder of Voice-SD, I'm not always sure whether the party sometimes didn't stray from the path I outlined and indicated," stated Pellegrini. He said that he founded Voice-SD as a party of experts, capable of balancing the coalition’s actions if the coalition were to steer the country in a direction or make things that may not always align with the will of majority of society. "I think that this is the foundation of a rational party - a party meant to guarantee professionalism, expertise and decency. Voice must now ask itself, whether it is continuing in this line or diverging from it," he said. Pellegrini also doesn't understand why MP Jan Ferencak still wishes to remain in Voice-SD if he quit its caucus. "I think that the party should retain members who speak one language, share a common perspective, and present some unity. However, it is up to Voice to decide how to handle this," he said. He thinks that the coalition continues to expect Ferencak to support it in his capacity as an MP. Peter Kmec, who resigned as the Vice-premier for the Recovery Plan and Knowledge Economy, has all the qualifications to become an ambassador in Rome, said the head of state. "If I receive such a nomination, I, as president who has the final say in appointments, can state frankly that I would have no problem appointing Mr. Kmec as a truly top-level diplomat," he said. He added that the office that Kmec headed is time-limited, meaning it will either function until the end of this electoral term or its agenda will be divided between the Economy and Education Ministries, so there will be no point to appoint its new head. However, it's up to the coalition and Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD), he said. The president also evaluated the work of the opposition. He was critical about opposition alliances based solely on "protests against something", as this is not enough for stable governance in the future. He see neither programme-based ties, nor a real leader in the current opposition. ko