Slovakians Voting In General Elections

Slovakians are voting in parliamentary elections Saturday amid a bribery scandal some observers say may diminish the turnout.

A recent poll indicates popular former Prime Minister Robert Fico’s Smer-Social Democracy could win half of the seats in the 150-member single chamber parliament. The Social Democracy party is challenging the outgoing 4-party coalition, which may feel the impact of the scandal. The scandal involves a financial group caught on secret service wiretaps allegedly bribing government politicians. Some analysts believe the public fallout will benefit members of smaller parties. On Friday, police in riot gear used tear gas and pepper spray to break up demonstration in Bratislava, the capital, protesting high-level corruption in the government.