Slovakia to elect new president
A record number of candidates are standing in the Slovakian presidential election.
With the term of President Ivan Gasparovic coming to an end on June 15, Slovaks will be going to the polls on March 15 for the first round of elections to choose their country’s next head of state.
A record 14 candidates will be standing in the elections, although only a handful are considered to have any chance of becoming president. The favourite to win is the current Prime Minister, Robert Fico.
Asked by Polish daily Rzeczpospolita about the large number of hopefuls, Slovakian journalist Peter Morvay said “most of them are not serious people, [just people] who want to have their moment of fame.”
Of the four or five candidates considered to be serious contenders, the chief rival to Prime Minsiter Fico is Andrej Kiska, a philanthropic businessman and political newcomer.
Kiska was “the first to officially announce his presidential candidacy and his billboards appeared around Slovakia long before the names of his competitors were known,” according to the Slovak Spectator, a Slovak news portal. “He is running as an independent candidate and has no political background whatsoever.”
Kiska has stuck to his charitable image while facing some criticism for his past business dealings, particularly regarding two of his former companies, Triangel and Quatro, which have been likened to “loan shark” operations by his critics, according to the Slovak Spectator.
Robert Fico is a political incumbent of the Smer party, with strong popular support and a career stretching back to 1987. Some analysts have questioned why Fico is running for the presidency as the role has relatively limited powers. He has been accused of trying to “escape” from the potentially difficult political and economic times facing Slovakia by assuming a role with less responsibility. In reply to that, the Slovak Spectator quoted Fico as saying “I understand my candidacy as a service to Slovakia.”
Image courtesy of Bazi
