News

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder will make a one day visit to Prague on Friday at the invitation of Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek. The two leaders are expected to discuss domestic issues, EU matters ahead of the EU summit in Great Britain next month and bilateral relations. The German Chancellor and the Czech Prime Minister are said to be good friends and the Czech media have more than once described Mr. Schroeder as the Czech leader's role model.

The opposition right-of-centre Civic Democrats have decided not to call a vote of no-confidence in parliament against the coalition government. Instead, they plan to push for a parliamentary investigation into the privatisation of Unipetrol, which was finalised earlier this year. The government's 63 percent stake in the gas company was acquired by Poland's PKN Orlen but evidence has surfaced, suggesting a number of high ranking politicians from the ruling Social Democrats were bribed in the privatisation deal.

A Polish Parliamentary commission, which has been looking into the case, released a report on Monday, stating that PKN Orlen paid some 180 million euros less for Unipetrol than an equally credible company was willing to pay. The Civic Democrats hope a Czech parliamentary commission will uncover why the less profitable offer was accepted.

The Prague High Court of Appeals has found the 74 year old man, who shot dead a Nigerian consul in Prague two years ago, guilty of attempted murder but lowered his sentence from eight to five years in prison. The pensioner lost his life savings in a Nigerian oil investment scam. Blaming the Nigerian authorities, he stormed into the embassy in Prague and shot the consul and injured a receptionist. He was given a lower sentence on account of his ill health.

Czech Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek on Monday soundly rejected demands by the main opposition Civic Democratic Party that he step down to pave the way for early elections in December. Paroubek had said at the weekend elections could be held in February or March, about three months early, by passing a law that would shorten the government's term. He did so following signals from the leaders of the minor parties in his coalition government that they were willing to form a new government with the opposition Civic Democrats. Under the constitution, early elections may be held after Parliament rejects a confidence vote in the government three times. Prime Minister Paroubek has proposed adopting an amendment to the constitution allowing that process to be bypassed.