US embassy cable - 05BRATISLAVA532

C O N F I D E N T I A L  BRATISLAVA 000532 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
ALSO FOR NEA/I 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/08/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PHUM, KDEM, IZ, LO 
SUBJECT: SLOVAKIA POLITICAL ROUNDUP JUNE 30, 2005 
 
REF: BRATISLAVA 472 
 
Classified By: CDA Scott N. Thayer for Reasons 1.4 (B) and (D). 
 
SLOVAKIA FORGIVES IRAQI DEBT 
---------------------------- 
 
1.  (C)  On June 21, Slovakia adopted government resolution 
495/2005, which approved a 100 percent write-off of Iraqi 
civil debts to Slovakia (an amount equal to around USD 1.1 
million).  In addition to the debt forgiveness, Slovakia has 
contributed USD 20.8 million in humanitarian aid, military 
engineering services, and a chemical unit to Iraqi 
reconstruction efforts to date.  The majority of the USD 142 
million balance that remains between Slovakia and Iraq is 
military debt (or perhaps more accurately, debt the Iraqi 
government owes to Slovakia for equipment later destroyed by 
the Coalition). 
 
GOVERNOR OF SOUTH CAROLINA VISITS BRATISLAVA 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
2.  (SBU)  On June 15, South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford 
visited Bratislava to learn more about Slovakia's tax 
reforms, particularly the flat tax regime the country 
recently implemented.  In meetings with local business 
leaders, as well as an appointment with Finance Minister Ivan 
Miklos, the Governor consistently heard that there is only a 
short, unique opportunity that countries are given to enact 
such reforms, and that the coalition government took 
advantage of this opportunity.  The Governor expressed his 
concern that the tax reforms in Slovakia did not actually 
lower taxes, but rather only simplified the tax system.  He 
also expressed an interest in learning more about the social 
changes that have occurred in Slovakia since the end of 
communism, with particular emphasis on how the fall of 
communism affected the goals and motivation of Slovak youth. 
 
GASPAROVIC DELIVERS "STATE OF THE UNION" ADDRESS 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
3.  (SBU)  President Ivan Gasparovic delivered a June 22, 
not-quite-prime time 11:00am "state of the nation" address 
which lasted 90 minutes, and sounded more like a campaign 
speech than an analysis of Slovakia's past accomplishments 
and failures.  Gasparovic stressed several times the regional 
differences in Slovakia, and that the social and economic 
situation of most Slovak regions is very bad.  He claimed 
that there are a lot of poor people who do not appreciate the 
economic reforms because of their resulting effect on 
unemployment and price inflation.  His speech borrowed 
heavily from Smer's rhetoric, and appealed to the general 
dissatisfaction of the Slovak population.  He repeatedly used 
the words "poor," "unemployment," and "negative impacts of 
reforms," presenting the negative results of reform without 
providing any analytical -- and very little positive -- 
perspective. 
 
4.  (SBU)  Other themes of the President's speech included 
his thanks to the Slovak military personnel serving overseas, 
a call for more focus on family values, and what might be 
called selective memory or even "delusions of grandeur," such 
as the President's claim that the economy was doing well 
under Meciar. 
 
IRAQI JUDICIAL DELEGATION VISITS SLOVAKIA 
----------------------------------------- 
 
5.  (SBU)  From June 20 - 25, the American Bar Association's 
Central European and Eurasian Law Initiative (ABA/CEELI) 
brought a delegation of 20 judicial leaders from Iraq to 
Slovakia to participate in a comparative law workshop 
featuring Slovak judicial reforms.  The event, supported 
through INL funds, allowed the group to also discuss the 
initial strategic plan for the Iraqi judiciary.  The Chief 
Justice of Iraq was present for most of the program. 
Justices made courtesy calls to Parliament and other 
government offices, but the main focus was the off-site 
opportunity to discuss long-term judicial development 
projects. 
 
6.  (SBU)  At an informal dinner attended by Poloff, judges 
sat in close circles listening to the Slovak experience, 
specifically with regard to the electronic court management 
system and other anti-corruption tools recently adopted by 
Slovakia.  A ranking Kurdish member of the Supreme Court told 
Poloff that prior to the trip they were unaware that Slovakia 
was a member of the EU, and were impressed by the efforts and 
sacrifices Slovakia made to be included in the international 
organization.  He recounted security challenges that 
confronted his job, but talked optimistically about the 
rapidly changing Iraqi judicial system, which he said has 
much improved since "the former government officials are in 
jail and the former prisoners are in the government." 
 
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE 
------------------ 
 
7.  (U)  Slovakia's parliament has adopted several important 
pieces of legislation.  In the area of anti-corruption, the 
"Law on Measures Against Persons Who Acquired Their Property 
In an Illegal Way" will allow the government to investigate 
and confiscate assets for which the owner cannot prove legal 
purchase with his/her own funds.  Owners must prove that they 
purchased their properties legally; if the court decides it 
was not done so, the property could be forfeited to the 
state.  Smer leader Robert Fico proposed the controversial 
law, which some legal scholars consider to be 
unconstitutional because it places the burden of proof on the 
accused rather than the state. 
 
8.  (U)  In addition, the "Law on Legal Assistance to the 
Poor," submitted to parliament by the Ministry of Justice, 
provides for pro bono legal counsel -- including courtroom 
representation -- for Slovaks who are unable to afford it. 
Slovakia has in recent years been criticized for its lack of 
pro bono legal mechanisms, and this bill hopes to improve 
access to legal remedies.  We note that the law provides an 
important mechanism not only for the poor, but for 
trafficking victims, Roma, and other victims in general. 
THAYER 
 
 
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