Danko: Letter to Prime Minister Serves as Warning to Taraba

Bratislava, 21 May (TASR) - The letter to Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) proposing a cabinet reshuffle is a warning to Vice-premier and Environment Minister Tomas Taraba (a Slovak National Party/SNS nominee), SNS leader Andrej Danko told a press conference on Thursday. Danko added that he wants to meet Taraba, claiming that he received and will receive the terms for cooperation with SNS. The SNS chairman emphasised that SNS won't bring down the government. "This is a raised warning finger. Unless we clarify the rules of the relationship between SNS and the vice-premier [next] Thursday, the prime minister will receive an official motion to dismiss Minister Taraba, signed by the MPs who support my position," stated Danko, claiming that six SNS MPs stand behind him, as well as Environment Ministry State Secretaries Filip Kuffa and Stefan Kuffa. If Fico considers Taraba to be a good minister but Danko is unable to work with him politically, Danko will ask the premier to have Taraba nominated by Smer-SD, like what happened in the case of Tourism and Sport Minister Rudolf Huliak. Danko has invited Taraba to a meeting of the SNS presidium, which is due to take place next Thursday (28 May). Danko reiterated that Taraba can't claim that SNS is responsible for the zoning proposal just because it's been prepared over the past six months by the party's nominee Marek Chovan, general secretary of the Environment Ministry's administrative office. Danko stressed that he knows nothing about zoning or other issues within the ministry. "SNS won't bring down this government. If anyone thinks that certain differences of opinion or my personal disappointments with Robert Fico will bring down this government, I'll disappoint them right now," said Danko, adding that he regrets that Fico hasn't matured as a politician to the point of realising that it isn't enough to win elections; one must also "know how to behave toward one's coalition partners". According to the SNS leader, if relations within the coalition aren't resolved, government proposals may not pass in the House. "So, I'll ask that voting on certain matters should be postponed until we have clarified some things," he added. The premier stated on Thursday that no government reshuffle is being planned and that there's no reason for him to deal directly with Danko's proposal to replace his nominee Tomas Taraba in the post of environment minister. The prime minister added that he respects the proposal; but should SNS be more specific and insist on Taraba's dismissal, Fico would demand a guarantee that a functional majority will continue in Parliament. He understands that SNS is dealing with its internal political matters, but the changes mustn't lead to a political crisis or threaten the functioning of the government. According to Fico, Taraba is a capable minister. am/df