Sulik Quits SaS, Will Run with Bitto Ciganikova in Next General Election

Bratislava, 29 April (TASR) - Former leader and founder of the opposition Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party Richard Sulik held a news conference on Wednesday to announce that he's quitting the party. Sulik terminated his membership of SaS as of Wednesday. At the same time, he announced that he'll run in the next general election together with Jana Bitto Ciganikova (Independent). Sulik doesn't yet know on which party's slate he'll run. He only said that several options are on the table, including the extra-parliamentary 'We Are Family' party. "I've decided to run together with Jana Bitto Ciganikova and surprisingly also with many others who miss the kind of politics we represent. We have several options on the table, and yes, I'm saying it straight away, 'We Are a Family' is one of them. However, it isn't the only one. No decision has been made yet. We'll announce which option we'll ultimately choose in the autumn," he said. Sulik cited a significant shift in the party's values as the main reason behind his departure from SaS. His decision has also been influenced by the expulsion of Bitto Ciganikova from the party. "I learned from the media that I'm no longer allowed to run for SaS. The last outspoken representative of the original values has been expelled from the party, and, moreover, the party that I founded has undergone a significant value shift. Well, to be honest, there's no reason to remain in SaS any longer," he said. ko/df