BRATISLAVA, August 11, (WEBNOVINY) — Immunity from prosecution should not apply to unlawful behavior of constitutional representatives, stated Prime Minister Iveta Radicova at the start of the second day of the fourth parliamentary session, with regard to the draft constitutional revision to limit deputy immunity from prosecution only to statements made in Parliament.
“Democracy is decency”, Radicova cited Vaclav Havel, the former President of Czechoslovakia. Persons who represent their voters should serve as an example to other people, otherwise we may not talks about morale in society. We have to start from ourselves, from those who are on top of the pyramid, the prime minister continued.
According to Radicova, privileges that deputies enjoy cause justified criticism by the public. Radicova wants to return to the original meaning of parliamentary immunity by narrowing it down only to statements and voting in parliament. “I consider immunity for minor offenses absolutely unacceptable. A picture of lawmakers refusing a breath test is cheap prey for tabloids and a ridicule of citizens. It has no justification,” she stated. The prime minister added that the public also negatively perceives the fact that a deputy may not be prosecuted without the parliament’s nod.
For these reasons, the prime minister proposes to curb deputy immunity to statements and voting in parliament. At the same time, the restriction regarding prosecution of deputies would be eliminated. She proposes the same limitations to immunity for judges. Nevertheless, a parliamentary deputy could be arrested only when approved by the parliament and in the case of judges and general prosecutor, the approval of the Constitutional Court would be required.
Ninety votes in the 150-member parliament are required in order to adopt a constitutional law. The coalition has 79 deputies, it thus needs the support of at least eleven opposition deputies.
SITA