Monitor: Taraba: Coalition in No Mood to Let Huliak Dictate Pace

(TA3,'V politike', 29 March) The coalition is in no mood to let Tourism and Sport Minister Rudolf Huliak (Independent) dictate the pace, Environment Minister Tomas Taraba (a Slovak National Party/SNS nominee) said on TA3's discussion programme 'V politike' (In Politics) on Sunday. Taraba was responding to the new situation following a statement by former Voice-SD MP Jan Ferencak, who said he no longer feels bound by the coalition agreement. Consequently, with 78 coalition lawmakers, three MPs from the Countryside Party could "shake things up" by blocking submitted bills. "Any three MPs from any party could do that," remarked Taraba. "Look, I assume this government will serve its full term; if not, there would be a caretaker government appointed by the President, so the math is clear," he added. According to him, Ferencak would vote for the fall of a government with Voice-SD leader [and Interior Minister] Matus Sutaj Estok on board. "But still, I assume he wants to work as an MP and use his own judgement to vote for laws," he stated. His opponent on the show, opposition Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) chair Branislav Groehling, believes that it's now Huliak and the three Countryside Party MPs who are now in the driving seat. "At the moment, Huliak effectively holds the reins of power, as it's up to him whether or not to provide those three votes. Huliak is the one who will dictate how the coalition functions and which bills are submitted," stated Groehling. Taraba rejected this, stating that "the coalition is certainly in no mood to let Huliak dictate the pace. Nor is the Prime Minister so naive as to allow himself to be pushed around like that," added Taraba. jrg