Slovak caretaker government to stay until March elections

Leaders of the four Slovak parties of the former governing coalition on Thursday reached an agreement with President Ivan Gasparovic on amending the Constitution, allowing him to commission Iveta Radicova's (SDKU-DS) government to stay in office until the early election in March next year. Radicova's government lost the confidence vote in the parliament last week - which was linked to the eurozone bail-out mechanism vote. "It's up to Parliament to draw up the amendment. As soon as it's amended, I'll commission this government to continue in office until the election," said Gasparovic. Opposition leader Robert Fico (Smer-SD), who met Gasparovic earlier in the day, indicated his party's readiness to amend the Gonstitution, claiming that the rightist government wasn't able to do so independently. The representatives of the four parties - SDKU-DS, KDH, Most-Hid and Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) - presented their own solution to the president - one that ensures a parliamentary majority (76 MPs) for the government.