Mayors petition for referendum on Prague Olympics

The mayors of small Czech towns are petitioning for a referendum to be held on the summer Olympic Games if the games were to be held in the Czech capital. According to a spokeswoman for the mayors, those behind the petition fear hosting the games would siphon funds from respective municipal budgets. On Friday, she handed a petition in favour of a referendum on the issue - signed by more than 1,000 Prague residents - to Prague City Hall officials. Opponents of the Olympics being hosted by the Czech Republic say the country is not prepared for the high costs. Prague officially put forward its bid to host the 2016 Olympics in early September. The bid was signed by Prague's mayor and the chairman of the Czech Olympic Committee.