Sobotka says he will not support bill to outlaw communism

The acting chairman of the Social Democratic Party and Finance Minister Bohuslav Sobotka has indicated that he will not support the efforts of senators Jaromir Stetina and Martin Mejstrik to outlaw the promotion of communism and the use of communist symbols. The proposed bill, which would force the Communist Party to change its name and properly distance itself from the past, is to be debated in the Lower House next week. With both the Communist Party and the ruling Social Democrats likely to vote against it, its chances of approval are slim. Meanwhile the leader of the right wing Civic Democrats Mirek Topolanek told Czech Radio on Sunday his party would support the bill.