Lower house backs bill stripping convicted MPs of mandate

The lower house of Parliament on Friday backed a constitutional amendment that would strip MPs convicted to serve prison terms of their mandate. The convicted deputies would also lose their salaries and other benefits. The draft legislation was admitted for further debate in the house; if eventually approved by MPs and Senators, it should come into force during the next parliament. The amendment, tabled by the lower house speaker Miroslava Němcová of the Civic Demoracts, comes in reaction to the case of her former party colleague, MP Roman Pekárek, who is to serve five years in prison for corruption but has refused to give up his mandate. Another MP, former Social Democrat David Rath, has been held in custody since last May also on corruption charges.