Topolánek calls on interior minister to resign, PM says minister must remain apolitical regarding campaign

The head of the right-of-centre Civic Democratic Party Mirek Topolánek has called on Interior Minister Martin Pecina to resign from the county’s caretaker cabinet if he opts to run for the Social Democrats in the upcoming election. The right-wing politician was reacting to apparent confirmation by the Social Democrats’ Petr Hulinský on Thursday, that Mr Pecina would head the candidates list in Prague. Interior Minister Pecina was nominated to the current caretaker government by the Social Democrats, after Mirek Topolánek’s government fell in a vote of no confidence roughly one year ago. Mr Topolánek has charged that if the interior minister runs, all his remaining actions in office will fall under the election campaign.

Reacting to the development on Thursday, Interim Prime Minister Jan Fischer said he was not prepared to recall the minister from his post if he decided to take part in the election but stressed he expected him to be apolitical and neutral while in office, staying outside of the election campaign. He also made clear that such a move on the part of the minister would not strengthen the position of the caretaker government.