KDH: President Chose Support of Crime Before Protection of People

Bratislava, 23 December (TASR) - President Peter Pellegrini, in an effort to avoid a conflict with Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD), gave up on his constitutional duty to protect the security of all Slovak citizens by not using his veto power on the amendment to the Criminal Code, the opposition's Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) stated in response to Pellegrini's signing of the amendment on Tuesday. "Signing the Criminal Code amendment is a clear signal that the protection of criminals has taken precedence over the protection of decent people. In many respects it even takes us back to communism. It is a gift for those who break the law and also helps parliamentary vice-chair Tibor Gaspar (Smer-SD) in his cases," said KDH chair Milan Majersky. KDH vice-chair Viliam Karas warned that the effective abolition of the institute of cooperating witnesses will limit the state's ability to fight organised crime, drug trafficking, fraud and corruption. "Criminalising social media posts during election campaigns will be unenforceable in practice, but will allow the selective criminalisation of political opponents. With his decision, the president has only confirmed that he has not been able to detach himself from his parent party Smer-SD or from the Voice-Social Democracy party," he noted. KDH pointed out that the Prosecutor-General, dozens of other prosecutors and the professional legal community clearly opposed the amendment. "Their warnings have gone ignored. The governing coalition is dismantling the state brick by brick and the president is assisting it," it added. At the same time, KDH declared that it will turn to the Constitutional Court. President Peter Pellegrini signed the amendment to the Criminal Code. He claims that full responsibility for the wording of the amendment and for this decision lies with the government that agreed to such a proposal and the parliamentary majority that approved it. mf