News

The government spokeswoman Veronika Skorepova has resigned following reports in the Czech media that she had padded her official resume. Ms Skorepova was the long-time assistant to the newly appointed Prime Minister, Jiri Paroubek, during his tenure as local development minister. Mr Paroubek took office on the 25th of April and Ms Skorepova assumed her new role just over a week later. Czech media had reported on Friday that she had listed work experience on her CV with at least one organisation for which she had never worked. Ms Skorepova, a former journalist, said she had been the target of a "negative media campaign" and denied that she had false information in her resume. She said was leaving her post only because she did not want to discredit the new government in any way.

Official commemorations marking 60 years since the end of the Second World War continued on Saturday along with re-enactments of several historical events, including the bloody battle on Vinohradska Street for control of what was then Czechoslovak Radio. Among the larger events: President Vaclav Klaus is due to host a celebration at the Prague Castle honouring Czech veterans of the war. Celebrations also are being held in Plzen, which along with western Bohemia, was liberated by American and other Allied soldiers. Sunday will see a host of memorial events, including the first military parade on the city's Letna plain since the fall of communism.

The Czech Republic is preparing for a weekend of events to mark the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II, with most memorials being held in Prague and the west Bohemian town of Pilsen. On Saturday a reenactment of a bloody battle for control of Czech Radio is being held on Prague's Vinohradska Street. Sunday will see a host of memorial events, including the first military parade on the city's Letna plain since the fall of communism.

President Vaclav Klaus's office has rejected a call from the chairman of the Lower House of Parliament, Lubomir Zaoralek, for a public debate on the European Union Constitution. The president's spokesman said Mr Klaus was already leading the debate, and indeed had been the first person to raise the issue. President Klaus has been described as the only head of state in the European Union to be publicly opposed to the EU Constitution, and was recently involved in a dispute over the issue with two leading members of the European Parliament.

Meanwhile, the government European affairs information committee has said a planned campaign to persuade Czechs to vote Yes to the Constitution will cost slightly less than originally planned. However, it is still not clear whether ratification will be decided by a referendum or by Parliament.