Slovak parliament approves finance minister as next central bank governor

BRATISLAVA, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- Slovakia's parliament approved a government nomination of Finance Minister Peter Kazimir as the next governor of Slovak Central Bank, local media reported on Friday.

The current governor Jozef Makuch said he will step down in next March but did not provide any reasons. His term originally expires in 2021.

The opposition criticized the nomination, saying Kazimir has political affiliation and is coming directly from the government.

Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini said Kazimir is the best candidate for the post, praising his prior performance as the finance minister.

Kazimir has to be appointed to the post by the president.