Kollar: Sulik's Candidacy Premature Despite Shared Economic Views

Bratislava, 25 March (TASR) - The question as to whether former Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) leader Richard Sulik's could appear on the non-parliamentary We Are Family party's slate is premature, even though Sulik and We Are Family leader Boris Kollar share similar views on several economic issues, Kollar has stated for TASR TV. He described the way in which Sulik, the honorary chair of SaS, was excluded from the party's slate for the next parliamentary elections as "sad". "He was excluded by those who migrated there via five different parties. This is no longer the SaS it used to be, but something completely different," remarked Kollar, adding that voters will have their final say on whether it was correct to treat Sulik in this way. According to him, Sulik is currently in Australia, and Jana Bitto Ciganikova remains a member of the SaS parliamentary caucus, which means that this issue is "not a question for today". Kollar admitted that his discussion with Sulik focused heavily on the economy. "It's clear to both of us that unless we implement very tough and rapid reforms after the next elections, the question we'll face is not if, but when this country will go bankrupt," he stated. On 7 March, delegates at the SaS congress rejected a proposal to include Sulik on the party's slate for the next parliamentary elections. Current SaS leader Branislav Groehling stated at the time that the proposal received only two votes, adding that he views this as a clear signal that the party wants to focus on the future. jrg/df