Slovak govt seen winning first no-confidence vote

...set to easily fend off its first major challenge in parliament despite several internal quarrels.

The no-confidence motion was triggered after some opposition MPs interpreted remarks Jahnatek made in a magazine as indicating state arms makers should be able to include the cost of bribes in their business accounts as legitimate expenses.

Jahnatek said his remarks, made in March, were manipulated and that he was speaking only about legally-documented provisions.

The ruling coalition, led by leftist Prime Minister Robert Fico, commands a comfortable majority of 85 votes in the 150-seat parliament, and all three governing parties have declared support for the minister.

Jahnatek is a key cabinet figure and was instrumental in putting pressure on utilities to lower energy prices, a main promise the prime minister made during a June 2006 election campaign that propelled him to power.

"Jahnatek is the one of the best ministers," Fico said ahead of the vote. "He has done work unmatched by any other economy minister in the last eight years. That is why he has ruling coalition support."

The ruling coalition, consisting of Fico's Smer party, the HZDS of former authoritarian ruler Vladimir Meciar and the far-right Slovak National Party, has quarrelled several times since it ousted a centre-right cabinet in the June election.

Among the sharpest disagreements were attempts to close a special anti-corruption court, budget allocations and changes to the labour code.

But the coalition has so far stuck together over key issues, such as approval of A deficit-cutting budget for 2007.

"All three parties are benefitting from their joint ruling, although maybe not with the same share," said Grigorij Meseznikov, head of the Institute for Public Affairs, a Bratislava-based think-tank.

"If there are problems in the ruling coalition, they are related to power struggles, and not to programme discrepancies."