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MP Martin Komárek of the ANO party has floated the idea that spirits should be banned on the premises of the lower house of Parliament. Mr. Komárek expressed the view that there was no reason for deputies to drink spirits at work and beer or wine with lunch or dinner should suffice. Although other ANO deputies have backed the idea, it has evoked little enthusiasm among others with the Speaker of Parliament Jan Hamáček saying he was prepared to discuss it but personally saw no reason to effect any changes in this respect. A previous attempt to ban spirits was short-lived. It came in the wake of an incident in which the former Civic Democrat MP Petr Kott got so drunk he had to be physically carried out of Parliament.

Czech top officials have expressed condolences on the death of South African leader Nelson Mandela who passed away on Thursday. President Miloš Zeman expressed great respect for the man who spent a large part of his life in prison fighting an unfair regime; the head of the Social Democrats and the likely next prime minister Bohuslav Sobotka said Nelson Mandela was a courageous and resilient man who lived to see his ideals come true. In a statement, the Czech Foreign Ministry said that South Africa’s first democratic president, was an extraordinary personality of the 20th century, a symbol of struggle for human rights and against the apartheid.

The ANO party would like to hold the transport ministry portfolio in the next government, party leader Andrej Babiš said on Friday. If approved by the other potential members of the emerging coalition, the Social Democrats and the Christian Democrats, the ANO party would most likely nominate an unaffiliated expert for the post, Mr Babiš said. The ANO party has also demanded the post of finance minister which could be filled by Andrej Babiš himself. The next meeting of party leaders is scheduled for Saturday.

The construction firm Metrostav on Friday began conserving the unfinished Blanka tunnel complex in Prague, in preparation for a halt of construction work. The company announced earlier it would stop working on the complex on Saturday over disputes with Prague City Hall which owes the firm more than 2.1 billion crowns. City officials, meanwhile, say the contract between Prague and the construction firm was invalid as it had not been approved by the municipal assembly. The situation will most likely have to be resolved by the courts. The Blanka complex, whose costs are estimated at around 36 billion crowns, was to open next spring.