Interior minister says will introduce gun use bill himself in parliament

Minister of the Interior Milan Chovanec said on Sunday that he will introduce a backbencher’s bill to change existing laws so that legal gun owners can use their weapon if they are involved in a terrorist attack or other security situation. The minister said he had discussed the matter with the prime minister and other ministers and because of the charged legislative timetable had decided on this option to save time. He added in a tv debate that he wanted to table the proposal during this parliamentary session ahead of lower house elections due in October. Minister Chovanec says the law would be useful in such cases as the lorry attacks in Nice and Berlin where armed police might not be available. The proposal has been dismissed by some politicians as paving the way for a Wild West.