Slovak president says will ask deputy PM to form new govt

BRATISLAVA: Slovakia’s president said on Thursday he will ask Deputy Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini to form a new government after the premier said he would resign following a public backlash over an investigative journalist’s murder.

"I will entrust Mr Pellegrini with forming the new government as soon as I receive the resignation of the current government of Prime Minister Robert Fico," President Andrej Kiska told reporters.

He added that the three coalition parties -- Fico and Pellegrini’s Smer-SD, as well as junior partners Most-Hid and the Slovak National Party -- informed him "that they have the support of the majority in parliament for a new government led by Mr Pellegrini". Fico on Wednesday offered to resign after struggling to get on top of the scandal sparked by last month’s killing of journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancee.

Police said Kuciak’s death was "most likely" related to his investigation into ties between Slovakia’s top politicians and Italy’s ‘Ndrangheta mafia. The murder and Kuciak’s article, published after his death, sparked a wave of anti-government sentiment in Slovakia, an EU and Nato member of 5.4 million people. The premier’s ruling coalition was facing a no-confidence vote by lawmakers scheduled for next Monday.

Interior minister Robert Kalinak and Culture Minister Marek Madaric already resigned earlier this week in a bid to save the government from collapsing. Fico has been in power since 2012 and is known abroad for his anti-immigrant stance. The veteran leftist had laid down three conditions for his resignation.

Kiska should respect the outcome of the 2016 parliamentary elections, respect and uphold the coalition agreement that forms the basis of the current government, and accept that Fico’s Smer-SD party would put forward a candidate to replace him, the prime minister demanded.