Crisis Phase (January 1, 1993-October 30, 1998): Slovakia formally achieved its independence following the dissolution of Czechoslovakia on January 1, 1993. Michal Kovac of the Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) was elected president by the National Council on February 15, 1993, and he was inaugurated as president on March 3, 1993. Slovakia was admitted to the Council of Europe (COE) on June 30, 1993. The government of Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar of the HZDS collapsed following a parliamentary no-confidence vote on March 11, 1994, and Jozef Moravcik of the Democratic Union of Slovakia (DUS) formed a government as prime minister on March 16, 1994. Parliamentary elections were held on September 30 and October 1, 1994, and the HZDS/Agricultural Party of Slovakia (RSS) coalition won 61 out of 150 seats in the National Council. The Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) won 17 seats in the National Council. Vladimir Meciar formed a coalition government as prime minister on December 13, 1994. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Parliamentary Assembly (PA) and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) established an election observation mission to monitor the parliamentary elections. Several political parties, including the KDH and DUS, formed the Slovak Democratic Coalition (SDK) in opposition to the government of Prime Minister Meciar in June 1997. President Kovac’s term in office ended on March 2, 1998, and Prime Minister Meciar assumed some of the duties of the presidency after the National Council failed to elect a new president on March 3, 1998. Parliamentary elections were held on September 25-26, 1998, and the HZDS won 43 out of 150 seats in the National Council. Four opposition parties, including the SDK and the Party of Civic Understanding (SOP), won 93 out of 150 seats in the parliament. The OSCE/ODIHR sent 25 long-term observers and 206 short-term observers from 31 countries headed by Helle Degn of Denmark and Kare Vollan of Norway to monitor the parliamentary elections from August 18 to September 27, 1998. The COE Parliamentary Assembly sent nine observers from seven countries headed by Franciszek Adamczyk of Poland to monitor the parliamentary elections beginning on September 24, 1998. On November 3, 1998, the COE mission reported that the elections were free and fair. The National Democratic Institute (NDI) sent six observers to monitor the pre-election process from August 30 to September 4, 1998. The British Helsinki Human Rights Group (BHHRG) sent four observers to monitor the election process beginning on September 10, 1998. The BHHRG mission issued a preliminary report on October 5, 1998. The International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHFHR) and the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights in Poland (HFHR-Poland) sent 26 election observers from eight countries headed by Greg Fabian of the US to jointly monitor the parliamentary elections from September 24-28, 1998. Mikulas Dzurinda, leader of the SDK, formed a coalition government on October 30, 1998.
Post-Crisis Phase (October 31, 1998-present): Rudolf Schuster was elected president with some 57 percent of the vote in a runoff election on May 29, 1999. The OSCE/ODIHR established an election observation mission consisting of 12 long-term observers and 45 short-term observers from 17 countries headed by Siri Skare of Norway to monitor the presidential election beginning on April 19, 1999. The OSCE/ODIHR mission reported that the elections were free and fair on June 30, 1999. Parliamentary elections were held on September 20-21, 2002, and the Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (Hnutie za Demokraticke Slovensko-HDS) won 36 out of 150 seats in the National Council. The Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (Slovenska Demokraticka a Krest’Anska Unia-SDKU) won 28 seats in the National Council. The OSCE/ODIHR sent 10 long-term observers headed by Michael Wygant of the US to monitor the parliamentary elections from August 23 to September 22, 2002. Presidential elections were held on April 3 and April 17, 2004. Ivan Gasparovic of the Movement for Democracy/People’s Union was elected president with 59.9 percent of the vote in the second round of the presidential election. The OSCE/ODIHR sent six observers to monitor the first round of the presidential election from March 27 to April 6, 2004. Parliamentary elections were held on June 17, 2006, and the Direction-Social Democracy (Smer-Socialna Demokracia-SSD) won 50 out of 150 seats in the National Council. The SDKU won 31 seats in the National Council. Robert Fico of the SSD formed a coalition government as prime minister on July 4, 2006.
[Sources: Associated Press (AP), May 16, 1999, May 30, 1999; Banks and Muller, 1998, 820-826; British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), May 30, 1999, April 18, 2004; Keesing’s Record of World Events, September 1994, May 1999; Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) newsletter, August 1998; Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Parliamentary Assembly (PA)/Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) press release, September 18, 1998, September 23, 2002; OSCE/ODIHR report, June 30, 1999, April 3, 2004; OSCE/ODIHR statement, September 27, 1998, May 16, 1999, May 30, 1999, September 22, 2002; Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), June 16, 1997, July 24, 1998, September 14, 1998, September 24, 1998, September 27, 1998, September 28, 1998, October 1, 1998, October 30, 1998; Reuters, May 16, 1999, May 30, 1999.]