Slovakian Presidential elections postponed

The parliamentary speaker in Slovakia, Ivan Gasparovic, has said presidential elections, due to take place on the twenty-third of January have been postponed.

Mr Gasparovic said the decision had been taken, because the date conflicted with a summit of Central European leaders also taking place in Slovakia.

Correspondents say the delay may suit the governing party of prime minister Vladimir Meciar, since the new nomination deadline allows the party to reconsider whether to submit a candidate.

The Slovak Parliament will now vote in the first round of the presidential elections on January the twenty-nineth.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service