Slovak Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Robert Kalinak resigned on Monday in wake of the mass demonstrations triggered by the killing of Ján Kuciak and his fiancee.
"I think to fulfil my mandate I have to do everything to preserve stability in Slovakia," Kalinak said. "For this reason I have decided to resign as deputy prime minister and interior minister."
The resignation comes after the demands by the Most-Hid (Bridge) group, a junior partner in Prime Minister Robert Fico's government coalition. In recent weeks, Fico has been struggling to keep the government together and prevent the deterioration of the political crisis in the country following the murder of Kuciak.
About 50,000 people rallied in Bratislava last Friday, calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Robert Fico and his cabinet. The rallies have been described as the biggest demonstrations in the country since the so-called Velvet Revolution in 1989, which marked the resignation of the communist leadership and the disintegration of then-Czechoslovakia.
On March 4, Slovak President Andrej Kiska called for a government reshuffle or early polls in an attempt to restore public trust. He also launched talks with the political opposition to ease the tensions in the country.
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Police initially suggested the assassination was "most likely" associated with his investigation into ties between Slovakia's leadership and members of the Italian mafia.
