Slovak election set for June 12

Political parties in Slovakia will have until March 14 to submit slates feturing candidates who will compete in next legislative elections.

Slovakia is to hold legislative elections on June 12, Parliament Speaker Pavol Paska announced on Monday.

Political parties will have until March 14 to submit slates featuring candidates who will compete for the 150 seats in the single-chamber parliament.

- I hope turnout will be as high as possible to boost the legitimacy of the election results - Paska told a press conference.

Opposition leader and former prime minister Mikulas Dzurinda said later Monday he would not lead his liberal SDKU party into the election after a spate of recent corruption allegations.

- The election campaign should be a competition of programmes, it should not be used by Prime Minister Robert Fico to draw attention away from scandals and thefts of his government - Dzurinda said, adding that he would remain SDKU's chairman.

Fico last week accused Dzurinda's SDKU of money laundering as the party has been unable to explain its funding while it was in government between 1998 and 2006.

Elections in Slovakia are held every four years under a proportional system, with lawmakers elected according to their position on national party lists.

A five-percent threshold has been set for parties to enter parliament.

Fico's left-leaning Smer-Social Democracy party has been ahead in the polls since it won the last election four years ago.