Bratislava - The Slovak Prime Minister, Mr Vladimir Meciar, who dropped from public view after losing a general election last week, finally acknowledged defeat yesterday with tears and a brief song of farewell.
Mr Meciar, who led Slovakia to independence amid the peaceful break-up of Czechoslovakia in 1993, appeared on Slovak Television to face the consequences of the combined opposition's resounding victory. Fighting back tears at the end of the broadcast he sang a short song to viewers. "Farewell, I leave you. I never hurt, I never hurt any of you."