BRATISLAVA (SITA) — After ex-Premier Vladimír Mečiar decided to run in the presidential elections, we need to build a firm barrier to his effort to disrupt Slovakia once again, an independent candidate for the post of the Slovak President, Michal Kováč, told a news conference in Bratislava on Monday. "I am resolved to win the Kováč-Mečiar battle. I will contest the citizens favor until the election victory," said the Slovak ex-President. Kováč said that "we should not forget about those who stood up against the Mečiars regimen in the time when he seemed to be undefeatable." In his words, it should be clear how the current candidates for the post of the head of the country acted in that time. Kováč reminded of the fact that he was the first to unite the current ruling coalition. "Despite the fact that some coalition politicians used the presidential chair as an article of a party bargaining, I will support the government," Kováč stated. He claimed he does not intend to strengthen his position on the account of this of the prime minister. However, he will be critical about the governmental power if citizens rights are violated.

The Slovak National Party (SNS) would support any "pro-Slovak politician" if its boss Ján Slota does not squirm to the second round of the direct presidential elections. The SNS boss, pontificating on the most controversial presidential candidate, the Movement for a Democratic Slovakias (HZDS) chairman Vladimír Mečiar, said, "…he is more nationally oriented than any other politician but me." Because Slota obtained the necessary deputy signatures to be a presidential candidate, he is certain that he will proceed to the second round. He suggested that the party will abandon grassroots campaigns and will focus its charisma on TV and radio shots. So far, the extreme nationalist leader has not been able to speak about the financial setting of his campaign, but Slota says no PR agency will be involved, only "SNS colleagues" will campaign. Obviously, as part of pre-campaign attention-attraction, the SNS plans to initiate a petition to impose a no-confidence vote in the Cabinet. The nationalists would have to collect 30 signatures to move Parliament to deal with the issue. Slota, referring to the Slovak Cabinet that opened Slovakia‘s airspace for NATO, said it is nothing but "cowardly banditism." Slota was also critical of Hungary for blocking 64 cars from Russia and Belarus that were transporting aid for Yugoslavia.