Extreme rightist wins regional poll in Slovakia
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 25 November 2013 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Extreme rightist wins regional poll in Slovakia, 25 November 2013, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/52e65935d.html [accessed 2 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
November 25, 2013
An alleged neo-Nazi has won a regional election in a central district of Slovakia.
Election officials said on November 24 that Marian Kotleba won a runoff executive-branch election the day before, with 55.5 percent of the vote, in the Banska Bystrica region.
His win came as a surprise, since he lost the first round of the election.
Kotleba did not campaign and participated in only one election debate, but he won the election largely because of voter apathy. Only 17 percent of the country's eligible voters turned out for the elections.
Kotleba was chairman of the Slovak Togetherness-National Party, which was sympathetic to the World War II-era Nazi-puppet state in Slovakia and organized anti-Roma rallies.
He currently heads the Our Slovakia party.
(Based on reporting by AFP and AP)
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
