REFORMER MIKLOS SURVIVES NO-CONFIDENCE VOTE

UNCLAS BRATISLAVA 000257

SIPDIS


SENSITIVE

TREASURY FOR CHGREWE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR ECON LO
SUBJECT: REFORMER MIKLOS SURVIVES NO-CONFIDENCE VOTE



1. (U) ON MARCH 17, SLOVAK FINANCE MINISTER AND DEPUTY PRIME
MINISTER IVAN MIKLOS SURVIVED HIS SECOND NO-CONFIDENCE VOTE
SINCE THE GOS' RE-ELECTION IN 2002. THE VOTE WAS 62-43,
WITH 23 MPS ABSTAINING AMONG THOSE PRESENT IN THE 150-MEMBER
HOUSE. MIKLOS' VICTORY WAS MORE A RESULT OF THE
OPPOSITION'S INABILITY TO CLOSE RANKS THAN A DEMONSTRATION
OF COALITION UNITY. THE HUNGARIAN COALITION PARTY (SMK)
ABSTAINED FROM THE VOTE TO "DEMONSTRATE ITS DISAGREEMENT
WITH SEVERAL MEASURES ORDERED BY MIKLOS" ONCE IT BECAME
CLEAR THE OPPOSITION WAS SHORT OF VOTES TO RECALL MIKLOS.
TWO DEPUTIES OF THE ALLIANCE OF NEW CITIZENS (ANO) FOLLOWED
SUIT. ONLY HIS OWN PARTY SLOVAK DEMOCRATIC AND CHRISTIAN
UNION (SDKU) AND CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY (KDH) FULLY
BACKED MIKLOS.


2. (U) MIKLOS, CONSIDERED THE MAIN ARCHITECT OF REFORMS THAT
HAVE MADE SLOVAKIA SO ATTRACTIVE TO INVESTORS AND RESULTED
IN THE FASTEST GROWING ECONOMY IN THE REGION, HAS BEEN
CRITICIZED FOR IGNORING THE POOR AND UNEMPLOYED WHEN
UNDERTAKING TOUGH POLICY MEASURES. THE COUNTRY FACED A WAVE
OF SOCIAL UNREST AMONG THE ROMA MINORITY IN LATE FEBRUARY
OVER CUTS IN SOCIAL BENEFITS. PM MIKULAS DZURINDA DEFENDED
MIKLOS, SAYING SLOVAKIA WOULD NOT ATTRACT SO MANY FOREIGN
INVESTORS WITHOUT THE MIKLOS-ORCHESTRATED CHANGES. HZDS
LEADER VLADIMIR MECIAR INITIATED THE VOTE AGAINST MIKLOS,
WITH SUPPORT FROM ROBERT FICO'S SMER PARTY AND THE COMMUNIST
PARTY.


3. (SBU) THE KEY PLAYER WAS IVAN SIMKO WITH 7 MP'S IN HIS
FREE FORUM PARTY. AFTER EARLY REPORTS THAT FF WOULD
SUPPORT MECIAR'S RECALL MOTION, SIMKO ANNOUNCED THAT
ALTHOUGH FF OBJECTED TO SEVERAL OF MIKLOS' ACTIONS, IT
WOULD NOT SUPPORT ANY ATTEMPT TO SACK GOVERNMENT MEMBERS
UNTIL AFTER THE APRIL 3 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION AND MAY 1 EU
ACCESSION. SIMKO PREVIOUSLY TOLD THE AMBASSADOR THAT HE
WOULD NOT SUPPORT A MIKLOS RECALL UNLESS MIKLOS MADE A
MAJOR MISTAKE OR UNLESS OTHER ALLEGATIONS OF CORRUPTION
AGAINST HIM BY SMER WERE SUBSTANTIATED. SMER ALREADY
ANNOUNCED IT WOULD SEEK A NEW NO-CONFIDENCE VOTE AGAINST
MIKLOS SOON.

WEISER

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