PS, SaS and 'Slovakia' Reject Plan to Extend Local Election Terms (2)

Bratislava, 30 March (TASR) - Opposition parties Progressive Slovakia (PS), Freedom and Solidarity (SaS), and 'Slovakia' will not support a coalition-sponsored proposal in Parliament to extend the electoral terms of local authorities from four to five years, arguing the change does not address problems of municipalities and believe the coalition should focus on real issues affecting people, instead. The parties made their statements on Monday. "Extending the electoral term does not solve the catastrophic condition of our municipalities. The government of Robert Fico, with the assistance of the party Voice, has taken hundreds of millions of euros from local authorities and is now offering an extension of mayors' terms as a false solution. However, mayors will not be helped by an extra year without funding," said MP Jana Hanuliakova (PS), adding that municipalities need new resources, predictable financing, and faster permitting processes. She also rejected the argument that extending the electoral term would help mayors with public administration reform. "The only one who can carry out public administration reform is the government of Robert Fico and its incompetent interior minister. Yet it continues to shirk responsibility and is now trying to shift it onto mayors and local leaders. We reject this game and will not support the extension," she added. This sentiment was shared by SaS, too. "We will not support such changes," said party leader Branislav Groehling. He confirmed that House Chair and co-sponsor of the proposal Richard Rasi (Voice-SD) had wanted to discuss the matter with him, but Groehling believes there is nothing to discuss. According to him, the governing coalition is introducing measures for itself rather than for the people. "It is absurd with what intensity and enthusiasm coalition MPs deal with themselves and their positions. If only they addressed rising prices, inflation, the worsening economic situation, or the crushing tax and levy burden in the same way," he said. He added that a good mayor or municipal leader can demonstrate their abilities within four years and does not need an extra year. The 'Slovakia' party told TASR it sees no reason to take away people's ability to decide their own affairs. "We will be very surprised if the opposition helps the government mafia in this matter. Communists in the government want to reintroduce five-year plans. Back then they were used to plan the economy, now to plan longer plundering," it said in a statement. Erika Jurinova, a member of the party's leadership and the Zilina regional governor, also confirmed the party has an issue with the proposed legislation. The proposal was also criticised by Veronika Remisova, leader of the 'For the People' party, allied with 'Slovakia'. She believes it represents a dangerous precedent that weakens the basic principles of democratic competition. "First the government quietly extends electoral terms for local authorities, tomorrow it could be Parliament," she noted. She pointed out that the change is to be applied immediately, without proper expert and public discussion, and called on opposition parties not to support it. "Fico has long been testing how far he can go. He always comes up with something that looks harmless at first glance, and when it passes, he goes further. I call on opposition parties not to fall for this trap and not to help the government change the Constitution according to current political needs," she added. A group of MPs from Voice-SD and independent MP Roman Malatinec submitted the proposal to Parliament to extend the electoral term for local authorities from four to five years. They argued the change would strengthen the stability of local and regional self-government, increase continuity in strategic management, and create better conditions for long-term planning and responsible implementation of development priorities. Rasi also noted that the proposal originated from the grassroots — coming from representatives of towns, municipalities, and regional governments themselves. Passing the change would require amending the Constitution, meaning opposition votes will also be needed for approval. If passed, the extended electoral term would apply as of the autumn regional elections. NOTE: This story has been extended to include the final three paragraphs mf