US embassy cable - 04BRATISLAVA684

UNCLAS  BRATISLAVA 000684 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PINR, MARR, LO, SW, IZ 
SUBJECT: SLOVAKIA POLITICAL ROUNDUP JULY 19, 2004 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED -- PROTECT ACCORDINGLY 
 
Slovakia Prepared to Train Iraqi Police; Awaiting Invite 
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1. (SBU) The Slovak military police have prepared a two to three 
month training plan for about twenty Iraqi policemen at the 
military academy in Liptovsky Mikulas. MOD Desk Officer for the 
United States, Jan Hradisky, said the military academy is ready 
now; they are just awaiting a request from the Iraqis. 
 
Justice for Rom after 4-year Delay 
---------------------------------- 
 
2.  (SBU) After four years of proceedings, Slovak courts 
convicted Michal S., of severe physical assault against Alojz 
Oracka, a 23-year-old Rom.  Michal S. was found guilty of 
attempted murder and theft, but was found innocent of committing 
a hate crime.  He was sentenced to ten years in prison and must 
undergo treatment for alcoholism.  He must also pay Oracka 
430,000 SK (USD 13,350) for lost wages and long-term disability. 
Oracka was attacked in March 2000 following a verbal conflict 
with Michal S.  The defendant attacked Oracka with a stick and 
repeatedly kicked him.  Oracka suffered severe head injuries that 
left him unable to work.  (Note: Slovak authorities do not 
release full names of defendants.) 
 
Charges of Vote Buying; People's Union (LU) Collapses 
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3.  (SBU) Poloffs met with Vojtech Tkac on 8 July to discuss the 
disintegration of the club of independent MPs and the status of 
the People's Union (LU) party.  According to Tkac, LU party 
discipline was almost non-existent and at least one deputy 
admitted to receiving money from the coalition for his vote. 
Tkac added that Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda, Minister of 
Economy Pavol Rusko, and Slovak Nationalist Party member and 
mayor of Zilina Jan Slota had enormous influence within LU.  Tkac 
said that he planned to join Robert Fico's Smer party in the 
future. 
 
4.  (SBU) In a separate meeting on 8 July Rudolf Ziak, 
unaffiliated Member of Parliament, claimed the LU ceased to exist 
when he left the party.  Ziak added that he was currently 
negotiating with President Ivan Gasparovic to represent the 
Democratic People's Movement (HZD) in parliament as an 
independent MP.  Ziak commented that he believes that Gasparovic 
will be a good president for Slovakia, having known him since 
their days in Vladimir Meciar's Movement for a Democratic 
Slovakia (HZDS).  He does not believe that Gasparovic will be 
beholden to Smer or easily influenced by others. 
 
Euroskepticism Among MPs 
------------------------ 
 
5.   (SBU) Poloffs met with Jozef Miklusicak of the Christian 
Democratic Movement (KDH) and Peter Missik of the Slovak 
Democratic and Christian Union (SDKU) in early July.  Both MPs 
were very critical of the EU constitution, claiming that it gives 
too much power to bureaucrats in Brussels.  Missik, however, did 
not agree with Miklusicak on the KDH's call for a referendum on 
the EU constitution.  Rudolf Ziak also told poloffs that Slovakia 
must remain vigilant that small countries remain sufficiently 
represented in the EU. 
 
Politicians Debate Swedish Priest's Comments on Homosexuality 
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6. (U) A Swedish court decision to sentence Pentecostal Church 
pastor Aake Green to a month in prison for calling homosexuals an 
"abnormal cancerous tumor in the body of society" had 
repercussions in Slovakia.  Interior Minister Vladimir Palko and 
his Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) colleagues said it was a 
case where "anti-discrimination legislation causes persecution of 
people." National Council of the Slovak Republic [NRSR] Chairman 
Pavol Hrusovsky viewed the Swedish court's verdict as an 
unforgivable precedent violating freedom of speech. Justice 
Minister Daniel Lipsic said the decision threatens freedom of 
speech. According to Palko, Europe is starting to put people in 
jail because they are speaking their mind.  On July 13, Palko 
told Swedish Ambassador Cecilia Julin that he disapproved of the 
sentence given to the priest. 
 
7. (U) Several politicians criticized Palko and KDH.  Jozef Banas 
of SDKU, said that parliament should examine KDH's activities 
abroad.  The New Citizen's Alliance (ANO) party argued that 
Palko's move could impair Slovak-Swedish relations.   NGOs 
protested against KDH's statements and requested Palko's and 
Lipsic's resignation.  However, a group of about thirty 
conservative intellectuals declared their support for the KDH. 
 
8. (SBU) This incident will blow over soon, but illustrates how 
 
the KDH is shifting ideologically towards more conservative 
positions, reaching out to older and religiously conservative 
voters. As a result, many pro-reform and pro-democratic voters 
may be reluctant to support KDH, no matter how well its ministers 
are doing in their posts. 
 
WEISER 
 
 
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