Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07BRATISLAVA42
2007-01-22 15:56:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Bratislava
Cable title:
HZDS LEADER MECIAR UNDERGOES SUCCESSFUL QUADRUPLE
how-toVZCZCXRO4637 PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG DE RUEHSL #0042 0221556 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 221556Z JAN 07 FM AMEMBASSY BRATISLAVA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0621 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS BRATISLAVA 000042
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PINR LO
SUBJECT: HZDS LEADER MECIAR UNDERGOES SUCCESSFUL QUADRUPLE
BYPASS
1, (U) Vladimir Meciar, Chairman of HZDS (Movement for a
Democratic Slovakia) and former Slovak Prime Minister during
the 1990s, underwent quadruple bypass heart surgery on
January 21 in Banska Bystrica at the Central Slovakia
Institute for Heart and Vein Diseases (Institute). In
Meciar's absence, Milan Urbani, the number two in HZDS, is
Acting Chairman of the party and Vice-Chair Zdenka Kramplova
is handling matters of party administration.
¶2. (U) Rumors of Meciar's health problems and potential heart
surgery had been circulating for several weeks. In
mid-December, Meciar was hospitalized for difficulty
breathing. His medical examination, including a coronary
catheterization, indicated the necessity for heart surgery.
Dr. Peter Meciar, a distant relative of Vladimir Meciar, is
Director of the Institute.
¶3. (U) On January 21 at 09:00 Meciar arrived at the Institute
escorted by his wife and son. The operation started at 14:00
and lasted approximately three hours. At a short briefing
following the operation, the leader of the surgical team
composed of cardiovascular specialists from Banska Bystrica
and Kosice informed journalists that the operation went
smoothly. The team performed a revascularization of the
myocardium with multiple (4) bypasses. After the surgery,
Meciar was transferred to the intensive care unit. At a press
conference the following day, doctors announced that Meciar
was conscious, recovering without complications, and remained
in the ICU. If his recovery continues to go well, they said,
Meciar could be released from the hospital in seven or eight
days and could be back to politics two or three weeks after
that.
¶4. (SBU) COMMENT. The relatively common nature of this type
of operation, plus Meciar's continuing total control of the
party, left little opportunity for speculation about a HZDS
after Meciar.
VALLEE