make the Slovak Parliament to re-open the issue of direct presidential elections. The petition, initiated by the Slovak Democratic (SDK) and Hungarian Coalitions, will last until May 12 at the minimum when Parliament starts its debate on the amendment to the election law. 'It would be nice if one more zero would be added to the today's number to the right," he said. The opposition will try to collect more than 500,000 signatures, which would be more signatures than last year`s thwarted referendum. The petition started on March 25 on the 10th anniversary of the Bratislava "Candlelight Demonstration". Palko says the whole Slovak opposition will be united on the issue of amending the constitution to elect the president directly. The petition committee intends to meet the Party of the Democratic Left (SDL), but SDL chairman Jozef Migaš claims his party wants to go its own way and prefers pushing changes through Parliament. The SDL also avoided the SDK meeting on March 25 when the petition was announced. On Wednesday the Petition Committee chairman, ex-President Michal Kováč, said that a mass presentation of public opinion might show the way to many politicians. He also appealed on citizens to be conscious and responsible while electing and sending deputies to Parliament, for it is only through the citizens' votes that the current members made it to Parliament.