Opposition calls to delay Czech TV Council vote over bribery claims

Opposition parties Civic Democratic Party and Mayors and Independents are pushing to postpone a parliamentary vote on new members of the Czech Television Council amid allegations of bribery. STAN leader Vít Rakušan and ODS chairman Martin Kupka said the vote should not proceed until suspicions that some candidates accepted payments in connection with the election of Czech Television’s director are clarified. The allegations stem from a recording published by the news website Forum 24, reportedly capturing a discussion between council members about an unpaid sum linked to a vote. One of the figures involved has questioned the authenticity of the recording, while another denies the conversation took place. Lawmakers are expected to debate whether to remove the vote from the parliamentary agenda until the matter is investigated.