Civic Democrats against Chamber of Deputies hosting Iraq conference

The right-of-centre Civic Democrats have expressed opposition to the Chamber of Deputies hosting a conference on Iraq. The planned conference is reportedly to be broadcast by Al Jazeera television and is expected to include participants from the Iraqi opposition critical to US policy. The conference has been planned under the auspices of lower house deputy speaker Lubomir Zaoralek. On Friday, Petr Tluchor, the leader of the Civic Democrats' deputies' group, said that his party was against the conference being held under the auspices of a high constitutional official. Czech Foreign Minister Alexandr Vondra also suggested the lower house was not an appropriate location.

Mr Zaoralek, meanwhile, has reportedly said he does not yet have a list of all participants in the event; he has stressed the aim of the conference is to help promote European values as well as the EU's influence in Iraq.