Chairman of the lower house resigns over scandal

Miloslav Vlček of the Social Democrats has resigned as chairman of the lower house of Parliament and given up his deputy’s post over his involvement in controversial subsidies and loans. He will not run in May’s general elections and plans to leave politics altogether. Mr. Vlček came under intense pressure to resign from his posts after it emerged that he had persuaded deputies to approve a controversial subsidy for a close friend and had breached the law by repaying a one million crown loan to a friend in cash, a practice outlawed in order to prevent money-laundering.

Deputy chair of the lower house Miroslava Němcová of the Civic Democrats is expected to replace Miloslav Vlček as the head of the lower house.