History of The Office
The office was established by the constitution of Slovakia on 1 January 1993 when Slovakia permanently split from Czechoslovakia and became independent. However, the office was vacant until 2 March 1993 when the first president Michal Kováč was elected by the National Council of Slovak Republic. However, in 1998 due to then political situation the National Council was unable to elect new president for another term. The result was that for half a year the position became vacant. The duties and powers of the office were devolved upon the then prime minister and speaker of the National Council. In order to come to a solution the constitution was changed in so that the president would be elected in the national presidential election. Presidential elections have been held in 1999, 2004 and 2009.
The current president is Ivan Gašparovič who took office on 15 June 2004.
Read more about this topic: President Of Slovakia
Famous quotes containing the words history of the, history of, history and/or office:
“He wrote in prison, not a History of the World, like Raleigh, but an American book which I think will live longer than that. I do not know of such words, uttered under such circumstances, and so copiously withal, in Roman or English or any history.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“There is no example in history of a revolutionary movement involving such gigantic masses being so bloodless.”
—Leon Trotsky (1879–1940)
“The best history is but like the art of Rembrandt; it casts a vivid light on certain selected causes, on those which were best and greatest; it leaves all the rest in shadow and unseen.”
—Walter Bagehot (1826–1877)
“The idea that you can merchandise candidates for high office like breakfast cereal—that you can gather votes like box tops—is, I think, the ultimate indignity to the democratic process.”
—Adlai Stevenson (1900–1965)