The political responses to resignation of the presidency of the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption mainly voice concern, with the exception of the Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) which believes that after the dirty work was done they just gave up. The Commission will forward the desired legislative changes to Borut Pahor.
The President of the Republic Borut Pahor in his response explained that he had been informed of the resignation of the CPC already on Wednesday. "After a thorough discussion which lasted several hours I understood the main reasons for their action, but still disagreed with their decision. I believed the reasons they gave should drive the Commission to persevere in their request of necessary changes regarding legal culture and rule of law," wrote the President.
But the senate persisted with their view that they had reached the limit set to them by the existing legislation. "Therefore I asked them to prepare the complete series of changes or additions to the relevant acts. I will apply myself during the coming months to assuring support for hearing and accepting the proposed changes, which would allow, along with nomination of the new CPC presidency, more successful endeavours for corruption prevention," continued Pahor.
"Dishonesty might win over honesty"
According to Gregor Virant, head of the Civic List, the resignation of the CPS presidency is cause for great anxiety, as the Commission under their leadership has done an enormous job at clarifying corruption.
"Mostly those politicians who have systematically disrupted the Commission authority, discredited it, and scorned its decisions bear the responsibility for this resignation; it is an ominous sign of danger that in Slovenia dishonesty might win over honesty. The citizens of Slovenia must not permit it!" he wrote in his public response.
SDS: They washed their hands like Pilate
"The dirty work has been done. The best you can do is to wash your hands, like Pilate," said Zvonko Černač, the vice-president of the SDS. The president of the SDS wrote on Twitter social network that CPC preferred the resignation to investigation of corruption in banks, and at the Ljubljana City Municipality. "They failed even with the airplane tickets for Gregor Virant. The blame, of course, was laid on the opposition," added Janša.
NSi: The reports had no epilogue
According to Ljudmila Novak, the president of the NSi New Slovenia, this resignation is mostly a warning to all the other law enforcement and judicial authorities. CPC made a lot of discoveries, prepared many reports, and also sent them to "appropriate authorities", but obviously they stuck there. "I wondered and disputed that CPC reports got no epilogue in court. The resignation is a signal that the next authorities in line must act adequately, either disprove or prove guilt," said Novak.
SLS: It's a vote of no confidence to justice
Franc Bogovič, the head of the Slovenian People's Party, stressed that during this week the resignations arising from despair or protest keep coming, and that during this week cash was carried out of the country in trucks, as reported by Slovenian Press Agency STA. Something is very wrong with our state, he says. But according to him this vote of no confidence is not addressed to politics only, but mainly it is directed towards lack of action of law enforcement and judicial authorities. He reminded of the series of processes with no results, in police, prosecution, and justice.
SD: Our time is almost up
For Igor Lukšič, the head of the Social Democrats SD, this resignation means a warning that the process of purging of the Slovenian society and politics is stalled. He hopes we can find the strength to make new steps in a right direction, as "our time is almost up".
Besides Lukšič the head of the SD parliamentary group Matjaž Han reacted as well. According to him this is a serious warning for the Slovenian society as a whole. "It turned out that for an efficient battle against corruption more is required than adequate legislative and institutional level; high level of society consensus on inadmissibility of corruption in all the segments of functioning of the society," he warns.
At the same time he sees the resignation as an opportunity to strengthen the trust in the commission as an authority in fight against corruption. He appeals to the President of the Republic Borut Pahor to nominate the new presidency of the Commission as soon as possible.