Succession of substitutes

(1) If a seat becomes vacant during an electoral term, it shall be filled by a substitute from the respective political party or coalition on the basis of his or her position on the list of candidates. However, if there are valid preferential votes on the list of candidates, the seat shall be filled by that candidate who obtained not less than three per cent of the preferential votes and the highest number of preferential votes.

(2) If there is no substitute from the respective political party or coalition, the seat shall remain vacant until the end of the electoral period.

(3) If a political party has been dissolved,[21] no substitute shall succeed from it and the seat shall remain vacant until the end of the electoral period.

(4) If a political party has been suspended from conducting its activity,[22] no substitute shall succeed from it during the period of suspension.

(5) A Deputy shall be succeeded by a substitute if he or she has been appointed to be a  member of the Government of the Slovak Republic, or the head of the Office of the President of the Slovak Republic,  or the head of a central body of the Civil Service who is not a member of the Government of the Slovak Republic, or a state secretary, or the director of the Slovak Intelligence Service,[23] or if he or she is in pre-trial custody.[24] 

(6) The succession of a substitute shall be promulgated by the Chairman of the National Council of the Slovak Republic not later than fifteen days after the seat became vacant or a fact mentioned in subsection (5) occurred. The substitute shall be issued with a certificate of the fact and date that he or she became a Deputy. For a substitute mentioned in subsection (5), such a certificate shall state in addition that he or she will fill the seat for only as long as the person substituted holds the office for which that person was substituted, or for as long as the person substituted is in pre-trial custody. After a substitute ceases to fill a seat, he or she shall remain as a substitute on the list of candidates and in the same position as before.