Opposition leader promisses to withdraw Slovakia's troops from Iraq should his party win

Photo: Opposition leader promisses to withdraw Slovakia's troops from Iraq should his party win

 "The Social Democracy will, after it joins the government, immediately decide to pull the Slovak military contingent from Iraq," Fico, chairman of the Smer-Social Democracy party, said in a statement, the AP reports.

The TASR news agency quoted Fico as saying he hopes his party would hold such a majority in the next governing coalition to be able to "carry out this decision alone," without agreement with coalition partners.

Slovakia has 104 troops in Iraq, stationed in Hillah in the Polish sector. They are mostly engaged in demining.

Fico's party leads the polls with 32 percent, while the ruling Slovak Democratic and Christian Union of Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda has the support of just 11.4 percent of eligible voters. The elections are scheduled for June 17.