President Zeman to meet with ministerial nominees after appointing new PM

President Miloš Zeman will begin meeting with individual ministerial nominees after he has appointed Social Democrat leader Bouhuslav Sobotka prime minister, the president’s spokesman Jiri Ovčáček announced on Monday. Mr. Ovčáček said that since Mr. Sobotka is due to be appointed PM on Friday the series of talks with nominated ministers could start over the weekend. In a televised interview on Sunday Mr. Zeman said he had not taken a definitive opinion on whether he should approve certain ministers in the nascent coalition government or not and would decide only after having one on one meetings with them. The president detailed specific objections to three proposed ministers, without naming them, in a press conference on Friday, adding that the head of state had the right to refuse Cabinet suggestions.