• 06/25/2006

    The Civic Democrats, the Christian Democrats, and the Greens have approved a draft coalition programme that their party leaders drew up on Friday. The programme names six priorities - the European Union and international cooperation; the citizen, family, education and culture, respect for the rule of law and the fight against corruption; public finances; a modern economy and new work places; and comfortable rural and urban living standards. An agreement to form a new coalition government is expected to be signed on Monday.

    Author: Dita Asiedu
  • 06/25/2006

    Should the emerging coalition government of the Civic Democrats, Christian Democrats and the Greens fail to get a vote of confidence in the lower house of Parliament, the leader of the Social Democrats Jiri Paroubek will not automatically be entrusted with the forming of a new government, TV Prima has reported. In an interview for the country's second largest commercial station, President Vaclav Klaus said the Civic Democrats, which won most votes in the election earlier this month, have an obligation to form a new government and Mr Paroubek should not get his hopes up.

    Civic Democrat leader Miroslav Topolanek expects a confidence vote on the three-party coalition government to take place in about four weeks' time. If three attempts at forming a new government fail, Czech citizens will return to the polls in early elections.

    Author: Dita Asiedu
  • 06/25/2006

    Hundreds of people attended a memorial ceremony on Sunday on the site of Lezaky, one of the two Czech villages that the Nazis razed to the ground 64 years ago. In retaliation for the assassination of the Nazi governor of Bohemia and Moravia, Reinhard Heydrich, all the children in the village were transported to either concentration camps or resettled with German families whilst all adults were killed and Lezaky grazed to the ground on June 24th 1942. Among those who attended the ceremony were Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek and Senate chairman Premysl Sobotka.

    Author: Dita Asiedu
  • 06/25/2006

    The site of the troubled Czech aircraft manufacturer Aero Vodochody, which is to be privatized, could be used as a second international airport, a transport ministry report says. The report refutes fears expressed by Transport Minister Milan Simonovsky earlier this year that the plan could have a negative economic impact on Prague's international Ruzyne airport. Aero Vodochody could be attractive for lower category aircraft. The report writes that both airports could have the capacity to serve a total of 27 million passengers in 2022.

    Author: Dita Asiedu
  • 06/25/2006

    NATO has expressed dissatisfaction with part of a Czech law on the protection of secret information. The Alliance opposes the fact that Czech MPs and Senators can gain access to secret materials without going through a security vetting procedure at the National Security Office (NBU). In a television debate on Sunday, NBU head Petr Hostek said NATO could deny the Czech Republic access to the Alliance's secret information if the law is not amended.

    Author: Dita Asiedu
  • 06/25/2006

    More than half of the Czech population is not happy about giving up its currency for the euro, results of a poll commissioned by the European Commission suggest. In the poll on attitudes on the euro in EU member states outside the euro-zone, 52 percent of respondents also said the adoption of the euro would benefit their country. Most Czechs, an EC report says, expect the country to have adopted the euro by 2010.

    Author: Dita Asiedu
  • 06/24/2006

    The leaders of a proposed centre-right government of the Civic Democrats, the Christian Democrats, and the Greens have agreed on a coalition programme and the distribution of ministerial posts. The right-of-centre Civic Democrats, which won most votes in the general election earlier this month, will hold ten seats in the cabinet, including the premiership. The two other parties will hold three seats each. Civic Democrat leader Mirek Topolanek is slated to be the next prime minister; the head of the Greens, Martin Bursik, could be the country's next Environment Minister, and the leader of the Christian Democrats, Miroslav Kalousek, the Agriculture Minister.

    While a new post of Minister without portfolio for European Affairs is to be introduced, the coalition is proposing the abolition of the Ministry for Information Technology and the Ministry for Regional Development. The coalition agreement is to be signed on Monday. Parliament is to begin meeting on Tuesday. Miroslav Topolanek expects a confidence vote on the new government to take place in about four weeks' time.

    Author: Dita Asiedu
  • 06/24/2006

    The leader of the Communists, Vojtech Filip, has said his party would support the Social Democrats' candidate for the post of lower house speaker. The vote is scheduled for next Thursday. Election of the speaker is a precondition for the old government to step aside to make way for the new. The speaker also elects a prime minister, should two attempts at forming a government fail. The three parties of the emerging centre-right coalition are expected to vote for Civic Democrat candidate Miroslava Nemcova but the Social Democrats would like the current speaker, Lubomir Zaoralek, to remain in the post.

    Author: Dita Asiedu
  • 06/24/2006

    Meanwhile, the emerging three-party coalition came close to a crisis after one of its MPs - Civic Democrat Milos Patera, suffered a stroke and had to be rushed to hospital on Friday. The coalition is already one vote short of a majority in parliament. Without Mr Patera it would only have 99 deputies in the 200-seat lower house during the crucial voting for the new speaker of parliament.

    No official details on Milos Patera's state of health have been revealed but according to Civic Democrat Vlastimil Tlusty, his party colleague is well enough to take part in next week's vote.

    Author: Dita Asiedu
  • 06/24/2006

    Two people were injured and some 15 cars demolished when three floors of scaffolding collapsed at a building site in the Moravian city of Brno. The accident happened during restoration work at a building next to the luxurious hotel Grand in the city centre. A 50-year old man and a 21-year old woman, who were caught under the rubble, were recovered from the scene and taken to hospital. Doctors say they have miraculously got away with light injuries. An investigation into the accident has been launched.

    Author: Dita Asiedu

Pages