Lower house postpones radar debate

The Chamber of Deputies voted on Wednesday to postpone a debate on whether to approve a US radar base on Czech soil. The opposition Social Democrats and coalition members the Greens voted together to have the base scratched from the agenda of this month’s parliamentary session. The Greens said that they did not want to discuss the proposed radar base when it was no longer certain that the project had the White House’s support. An article published by British paper the Times on Wednesday suggested that the new American President Barack Obama may sacrifice plans for an anti-missile defence system in Central Europe if Russia agrees to enter into talks about downscaling its nuclear arsenal. Czech prime minister Mirek Topolánek, who wanted parliament to discuss the radar on Wednesday, said that the Times’ report was just speculation, and that what was important was what Mr Obama had to say.