Klaus: government should respect public opposition to radar base

President Vaclav Klaus has said that the government should respect public opposition to a US plan to station a radar base in the country. He made the comment while speaking on a broadcast for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. In the broadcast, the president also criticised special government spokesman, Tomas Klvana, for simplifying the issue. The United States have formally asked the Czech Republic to host a radar base on its territory as part of a broader missile defense system in Europe. But public opinion polls have repeatedly suggested a majority of Czechs remain against the idea. Villages and towns near the proposed site for the radar have also expressed their opposition through a number of symbolic referenda.