US embassy cable - 04BRATISLAVA110

UNCLAS  BRATISLAVA 000110 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PINR, LO 
SUBJECT: Slovakia Political Roundup January 23-31, 2004 
 
Ref: Bratislava 34 
 
12 Candidates File in Presidential Race 
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1. By the January 30 deadline, there were 12 presidential 
candidates, listed here in order of preference among 
potential voters in the most recent poll: Eduard Kukan, 
Vladimir Meciar, Rudolf Schuster, Ivan Gasparovic, Lubo 
Roman, Martin Butora, Frantisek Miklosko, Jan Kralik, Jozef 
Kalman, Stanislav Bernat, Jozef Sestak, and Julius Kubik. 
Meciar and Schuster waited until the last day to declare. 
Schuster explained to media, "it would be insincere of me to 
disrespect the voices of those who called on me to run for 
re-election."  Meciar's statement was, "If the presidential 
elections were ultimately decided based on the theory of a 
lesser evil, I would be the president."  Details about each 
candidate appeared in reftel. 
 
Convictions for Corruption Increase 
----------------------------------- 
 
2. According to Ministry of Justice and General Prosecutor's 
Office statistics, convictions under existing anti- 
corruption laws have increased significantly in 2003.  In 
2002, 16 individuals were sentenced for corruption and 334 
for misuse of public authority.  In the first half of 2003, 
28 people were sentenced for corruption (out of 87 
investigated by the police, 51 were accused), and 251 
individuals were sentenced for misuse of public authority 
(of 420 investigated, 357 were accused).  Surveys show 
Slovaks are concerned about corruption, but in practice 
corruption is still underreported.  Nonetheless, more cases 
are coming to light.  Members of the anti-corruption unit 
caught an Army Lieutenant Colonel accepting a $500 bribe 
from an officer to prolong the officer's contract in 
Eritrea.  Contracts in foreign countries are attractive and 
competitive because salaries are significantly higher.  A 
few days later, a Bratislava gynecologist was caught taking 
SKK 7,000 ($213) after threatening to drop a patient from 
his roster if he was not paid the money. 
 
Trouble Festers in Slovak National Party 
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3. Several events have kept the Slovak National Party in the 
headlines recently.  Peter Sulovsky and Zilina mayor Jan 
Slota both continue to claim chairmanship of the party. 
Slota suggested a nationalist "megacongress" to determine 
who should be chairman.  On January 20, a bomb exploded 
beneath Sulovsky's car.  Earlier in the month, Anna 
Malikova, who claims deputy chairmanship of the party under 
Slota, complained loudly and publicly about being barred 
from the SNS office in Bratislava by guards loyal to 
Sulovsky.  Recent comments by Slota that a Roma activist 
should be expelled from the country and that the police 
treat Roma too well explain why human rights observers are 
quite satisfied with the nationalists' internal bickering. 
 
SDKU Sues Kalinak for Releasing "Skupinka" Names 
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4. SDKU has filed a lawsuit against Smer deputy Robert 
Kalinak for releasing the names last summer of the 
"skupinka" PM Dzurinda alleged was destabilizing the state, 
saying he got the list from a source close to the PM.  SDKU 
wants an apology and SKK 500,000 ($15,244) in damages. 
Kalinak counters that it has since become clear that he made 
no mistake. 
 
Figel Will Be Slovakia's Eurocommissioner 
----------------------------------------- 
 
5. During the Coalition Council meeting on January 27, 
former EU negotiator Jan Figel was selected to be Slovakia's 
first European Commissioner.  Figel, 43, is a member of the 
Christian Democrat Movement (KDH), chairman of the Foreign 
Affairs Committee in Parliament, and was State Secretary of 
the MFA from 1998 to 2002 between his Parliament terms. 
During his 1992-1998 term as MP, he also held two positions 
in the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly. 
 
ABA-CEELI Closes After Successful Decade 
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6. The American Bar Association's Central and East European 
Law Initiative (ABA-CEELI), the last SEED program in 
Slovakia, closed January 27 with a ceremony featuring DCM as 
well as Justice Minister Daniel Lipsic, a former CEELI staff 
member.  The program also held final roundtables on public 
procurement and on judicial reform.  Judges at the 
roundtable praised the electronic court system.  They noted 
that that the new system streamlines court administration, 
but there is still work needed to change the habits of 
judges and clerks. 
 
Two Constitutional Revisions Under Consideration 
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7. Two constitutional amendments are advancing through 
Parliament despite government opposition.  One bill would 
require ministers to seek, and hew to, Parliament's explicit 
direction on all matters under discussion within the EU, 
which the GOS finds impractical.  The other would extend 
MPs' immunity from prosecution for statements made in 
Parliament. 
WEISER 
 
 
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