Premier Doesn't Rule Out Possible Changes at UVO, PS Wants to Defend Office

Bratislava, 22 December (TASR) - Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) didn't rule out the possible dissolution of the Public Procurement Office (UVO) on Monday, with the reason being the scrapping of the tender for the construction of the D1 Turany-Hubova motorway section (Zilina region). The opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS) condemned these considerations, saying that Fico no longer has any scruples and is behaving like an autocrat who steamrollers everything that stands in his way. PS wants to defend independent institutions. "I just don't know, Minister, whether we should dissolve the Public Procurement Office. After all, it isn't possible for someone in such a strategic construction project as D1 to make decisions that prevent us from continuing at the pace we've set," Fico said to Transport Minister Jozef Raz (a Smer-SD nominee) during his speech at the opening of the Visnove tunnel. "We'll have to seriously address this issue," added Fico. Raz on Monday confirmed that they had already prepared a lawsuit to review the decision of the Public Procurement Office chairman to cancel the tender for the construction of this motorway stretch. Opposition MP Jan Hargas (PS) claims that Raz failed to manage the tender for the last section of the D1 motorway and the myth of Slovakia as a country under construction is collapsing for both of them. "The only thing left for them to do is to attack independent institutions such as the Public Procurement Office," said Hargas, adding that the UVO's position was also confirmed by an expert commission composed of professionals in the field of public procurement. am/mcs