11.05.1999

Kovac Has Withdrawn His Candidature

Four days before the direct Presidential Election Michal Kovac ex-president withdrew his candidature in favour of Rudolf Schuster. He announced his decision in the Slovak Public Television (STV) stressing that this step was his contribution of preventing Meciar's comeback. According to different public opinion polls Kovac had 3 to 6 percent of support. The Coalition Board of Government Parties has highly praised Kovac's withdrawal. The latest public opinion polls indicate that Schuster's position is strong but he will not be able to get absolute majority of votes. Schuster will probably meet Meciar in the second round of elections.

candidature
withdraw - visszavonul, visszalep, kivon, visszahuzodik
in favour of sy- v prospech
announce - bejelent, kihirdet
decision - dontes, elhatarozas
to stress - kiemel, hangsulyoz
contribution - hozzajarulas
to prevent - elhárít, megakadályoz, megeloz, meggatol
public opinion polls - kozvelemenykutatas
highly - erosen, nagyon
to praise [preiz] - dicser , elismer, becsul
highly praise sy - nagyre becsul vmit
the latest public opinion poll - a legutiolso koyvelemeny kutatas
exposure [iks´pužô] - leleplezés, felfedés, megvilágítás

13.05.1999

Election Campaign Ended

The campaign of the Direct Presidential Election ended at 7 o'clock today morning. It was the electronic media that received the most criticism during the campaign. Apart from this a peaceful atmosphere characterised the campaign. The Frequency Board that supervises the electronic media criticised mainly the commercial TV station Markiza. Many complaints will be treated next week. Besides OSCE observers, activists of Slovak non-governmental organisations are supervising the elections.

criticism apart form this - ettol letekintve
apart [ô´pa:t]supervise[sju:pôvaiz] - felugyel - dozerat
compalint [kômpleint] - panasz, to treat - kezel, feldogoz
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Replacement at Iron-Works

According to press sources Peter Magvasi Minister of Social Affairs and Labour is going to be the director of the Eastern-Slovakian Iron-Works (VSZ). The Party of the Democratic Left (SDL) where Magvasi is from did not deny the news but stressed that it was Magvasi's professional skills and not his party background that would make him to be competent for the post. The mammoth-company's present director is Gabriel Eichler Czech bank expert who became the head of VSZ as a crisis manager last year when the company got on the verge of bankruptcy and he is not willing to give up his post. The shareholders will make the final decision about the replacement at their general assembly in one and a half week.

according to press sources - sajtóértesulések szerint
Affair [ô´feô] - ugy, eset
Professional skills and not party background would make him to be
competent for the post.competent [kompitônt] - illetekesexpert [ekspô:t]
The company got on the verge of bankruptcy.
to be on verge of sy [vô:dž] - vminek a szelen/határán van
bankruptcy [bänkrôpsi] - csodHe is not willing to give up his post.
post - állás, orhely
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No Cabinet Reconstruction

Mikulas Dzurinda Prime Minister strictly denied the rumours about the reconstruction of the Government that should take place after the Presidential Elections. A communiqué released by The Party of the Democratic Left (SDL) stresses that the party does not have any plans to replace its ministers. The Government is stable and tries to solve economical problems with undiminished energy, Ludovit Cernak Minister of Economics announced. Cernak together with Ivan Miklos Deputy Prime Minister was among the ones who were rumoured to be replaced.

strictly deny - határozottan/szigoruan vissautasit, tagad,cafol
rumour [ru:mô] - híresztelés, fáma, szóbeszéd
to take place - lefolyik, lezajlik, megtortenik, lejatszodik
diminished - zmenšit sa - csokkentett, fogyo
undiminished - toretlen, nemcsokkentett
They were rumoured to be replaced - Boli spominani, ze maju byt vymeneny.

02.06.1999

Reforms Have to be Continued

Qualifying the result of the direct presidential election in Slovakia as an event that increases the country's chance for membership, the European Union in a today published declaration applauded the recent developments. At the same time the EU called upon the Slovak government that by using the support gained at the election to continue stabilising the economy and to adopt further reform measures. On today's session the Dzurinda-cabinet repeatedly discussed economic restricting measures. A program to approach value-added tax to European standards and another increase in excise tax of tobacco were approved.

applaud [ô´plo:d] - tapsol, udvozol
recent development - nem régi újabb, jelenlegi jelodes
call upon - felhív, felszólít
adopt [ô´dopt] - elfogad
measure - intézkedés
excise tax/duty - fogyasztásn adó - spotrebná dan
approve [ô´pru:v] - elfogad, jóváhagy

14.06.1999

Svechota’s Plea of Clemency Refused

The Prime Minister MikulᚠDzurinda who exercises the sphere of authority of the Head of State until Rudolf Schuster taking of the oath tomorrow, didn’t admit the former deputy director of the Secret Service Jaroslav Svechota’s plea of clemency. Only one had received pardon from Dzurinda, a person, whose confession enabled the police to expose a significant gang of criminals. However, observers didn’t preclude that Svechota will receive pardon after all from the new Head of State, as he was the one whose assistance enabled the police to bring the former Director of the Secret Service Ivan Lexa to trial. The Minister of Justice and the Minister of Interior both declared that in their view they would agree with such a decision.

plea [pli:] - elotrejsztes, kerelem
clemency [klemônsi] -irgalom, kegyelem
sphere [sfiô] - hatáskor
authority [o:´@oriti]
oath [ou@] - esku, fogadalom, káromkodás
admit - uznat
former [fo:mô] - elozo
deputy director - igazgatohelyettes
confession [kôn´fe´šôn] - beismero vallomás
expose [iks´pouz] - odhalit - leleplez, megvilágít
significant - alapveto, fontos
gang - banda
criminal [kriminôl] - bunozo
observer [ôb´zô:vô] - megvigyelo
preclude [] - kizár
after all - mindennek ellenére, mégis
justice [džastis] - igazság
interior [in´tiôriô] - vnútro
in ther view - z ich pohladu
decision [di´sižn] - rozhodnutie

12.07.1999

Praise in advance

The European Committee in today’s statement welcomed the adoption of the law regulating national minority language usage. The spokesman of the committee didn’t wish to comment on the fact that Hungarian Coalition Party voted against the law in the Parliament. “If the adopted law is identical with the bill filed by the government, then in the report of the country we will value the votes as an advantageous step towards the membership in the EU.”- stated the spokesman. At the same time it was emphasised in Brussels, that the law will be a subject of a thorough analysis by experts.

praise - dicséret, elismerés
adoption [ô´dopšn] - elfogadás, prijatie
committee [kô´miti] - bizottság
comment on the fact - kijeteni azt a tényt
bill - torvényjavaslat
state - megálapít, állít, kifejelent, kifejt
to emphasize [emfôsaiz] - kihangsúlyoz, kiemel
thorough [&arô] - mélyreható, alapos, teljes

15.07.1999

Kofi Annan in Bratislava

United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan paid an official visit in Bratislava. UN Secretary General visited Bratislava for the first time since Slovakia became independent. Bratislava wanted to become a temporary member of the UN Security Council for the next two years. Annan, concerning this question stressed that as a Secretary General he was not competent in this problem and could not influence the decision of the member states.

pay a visit - vykonat kratšiu návštevu - meglátogat
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Straight Talk

The Slovak Constitutional Court defined its attitude in the question whether it is possible to start a criminal prosecution against suspects who were pardoned by Vladimir Meciar and then the amnesty was repealed Mikulas Dzurinda. In connection with the petition of Ivan Lexa Slovak Intelligence Service (SIS) ex-director the Constitutional Court declared that its interpretation of Constitution from last week according to which a granted amnesty can not be repealed is to be applied for the future only, that is, Dzurinda's repealing remains valid. In this way the criminal prosecution against Ivan Lexa and his accomplices can continue.

attitude [ćtitju:d] - postoj
criminal prosecution [prosik´ju:šn] - súdne/policajné stíhanie
suspect [sô´spekt, saspekt] - podozrivý
repeal [ri´pi:l] - zrusit, odvolat
grant - udelit, poskytnút
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No Quorum in Parliament

The Slovak Parliament did not treat the motion of no confidence against Pal Csaky Vice Premier. The Government Coalition MPs ignored the session scheduled for the summer holiday so neither the committees nor the parliament had quorum.

quorum - határozatképesség
motion [moušn] - előterjesztés, indítvány
session - gyűlés, összejövetel
committee [kô´miti] - bizottság

20.07.1999

Minority Language Law in Force

Rudolf Schuster Slovak President signed the Minority Language Law today that was passed by the Parliament on 10 July. As it is known, the Hungarian Coalition Party (SMK) has tried to persuade the President to give back the Law to Parliament for re-consideration. Schuster consulted two independent legal expert groups before signing the Law. On behalf of the ambassadors from EU member states, the French Ambassador in Bratislava said that, with the passing of the Minority Language Law Slovakia had fulfilled the last of the political conditions of Slovakia's EU integration.

pass - elfogad, megszavaz
persuade [pôsveid] - presvedcit - rábeszél, meggyoz
consideration - figyelembe/fontolóra vesz
re-consideration - újra megfontol, újratárgyal
on behalf of sy[bi´ha:f] - vki nevében/helyett

10.08.1999

Palacka Resigned

Gabriel Palacka Minister of Transport, Posts and Telecommunications handed in his resignation today. He is the first minister of the Dzurinda Cabinet who quit an office. Palacka, in the last few months was strictly criticised even by the government coalition parties because his ministry has fallen under suspicion of a corruption in connection with some important public tenders and because the minister’s wrong decision caused serious income deficits. Gabriel Palacka was one of Mikulas Dzurinda’s closest colleagues and the Prime Minister defended Palacka to the very last. In connection with the resignation, Dzurinda accused the Christian-Democratic Movement (KDH), who attacked Palacka most often, of destabilisation of the Government. Both Dzurinda and Palacka were members of KDH until the establishment of Slovak Democratic Coalition (SDK).

to resign [ri'zain]- lemodn hand in resignation [rezig'neisn]- benyujtja a felmondasat
to criticise/criticze [kritisaiz]
quit an office - tavozik a hivatalabol
suspicion [so;'spisn]- gyanu
in connection with - kapcsolatban vele
serious income deficit [defisit]- komoly jovedelm kieses/bevetelhiany
to defend - megved, vedelmez
to the very last - mindvegig, a vegsokig
accuse [o;'kju:z]- megvadol
destabilisation [disteibo;lai'zeisn]