Zdeněk Tůma to leave post at end of June

The governor of the Czech National Bank, Zdeněk Tůma, announced his resignation on Thursday. In a statement, the bank said that the governor would step down on June 30 although his second six year term is not due to empire until February 2011. The bank said that Czech President Václav Klaus was told of the decision on Tuesday. Mr. Tůma said that he had decided to leave early because wholesale changes of the bank board are due in February and it would be better to calm uncertainty connected with them. He added that it would be better if the governor in future if the governor’s mandate was different from most of his colleagues.