STA, 23 April 2020 - The opposition Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) plans to initiate a vote of no-confidence in Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek over his role in the purchases of protective personal equipment.
"We were constructive at the beginning of this government's term, but we were played. After the latest events it is clear that we will file a motion of no-confidence," LMŠ leader Marjan Šarec announced on Twitter on Thursday.
He said a letter by the now former head of the Agency for Commodity Reserves, Anton Zakrajšek, had been "the final straw".
Počivalšek responded on Twitter saying he saw the motion as "an opportunity to debate the epidemic comprehensively and lay out all the evidence", including "the (lack of) responsiveness" by the previous, Marjan Šarec government.
Počivalšek, was economy minister also in the previous government, also said it was interesting that the motion came from Šarec, who "invited me to a coalition two months ago".
The announcement comes after Zakrajšek was replaced as director amid mounting criticism over faulty supplies of personal protective equipment.
The Government Communication Office said Zakrajšek had asked to be relieved of his duties on Monday, citing health reasons and the wish that the agency got an operational head in these critical times.
Počivalšek said that despite contracting Covid-19, Zakrajšek had still been working from home a lot and participated in all of the agency's deals, having been "warned by the ministry that due diligence had not been exercised in some of them".
In a letter following the move, Zakrajšek protested against the reasons cited for his replacement and said him and the agency refused to serve as scapegoats.
Zakrajšek said that he had worked from home but was "definitely not the one picking the suppliers". He said the person who controlled the procurement was Mitja Terče, who served for a while as the head of an advisory group for protective personal equipment procurement appointed by Počivalšek.
