Ján Smerek is HZDS Third Candidate

BRATISLAVA (SITA) -- Ján Smerek, chair of VSŽ Holding Supervisory Board is the third presidential candidate of the governing Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS), Premier Vladimír Mečiar revealed following the joint coalition-opposition round table held at the Cabinet's Office on Wednesday. Two candidates selected by the ruling movement were: writer Ladislav Ťažký and rector of Matej Bel University Otto Tomeček. The SNS nominated Július Binder, Vodohospodárska Výstavba director, and Vladimír Valach, Slovak Ambassador to France. Last week's round table initiated by Vladimír Mečiar born the decision that the ruling coalition and the opposition will come to the Wednesday round-table with three names of their presidential candidates in a sealed envelop. The SDK and the Hungarian Coalition representatives left the round table in protest against premature publicizing of the ruling coalition's candidates. The SDK candidates were actor Ladislav Chudík, former Czechoslovak Ambassador to Hungary Rudolf Chmel and Anton Hajduk (former Slovak Ambassador to Nigeria, dismissed by the current cabinet). The premier announced that the Cabinet will propose a draft law on transfer of a portion of presidential jurisdictions to Parliamentary Speaker to bridge a time gap when the presidential post is vacant. But SDK's Dzurinda stated that the SNS proposal sent to the second reading in Parliament suits the SDK.