Fischer defends withdrawal of mining bill

Prague, February 4 (CTK) - Czech Prime Minister Jan Fischer yesterday again defended his government's withdrawal of a draft amendment to the mining law from the Chamber of Deputies, which Green MP Bursik criticised.

The bill specifies the rules of write-offs of coal deposits under the North Bohemian municipalities and abolishes the preemptive right of a mining company to plots on the mining territory.

Bursik, former environment minister, sharply criticised the interim government' step. He reminded of close ties of the Czech Coal mining company to Fischer's adviser Vladimir Mlynar.

Fischer admitted during the question time in the lower house yesterday that he knows Czech Coal supervisory board chairman Jan Dobrovsky.

Bursik said the withdrawal of the coal-mining amendment was an unusual step.

He previously accused the cabinet of being under the influence of lobbyists of the north Bohemian mining companies and he hinted at possible corruption behind it.

It was Industry and Trade Minister Vladimir Tosovsky who proposed that the bill be withdrawn, Fischer said.

"Neither I nor any of my aides have participated in it," he stressed, adding the proposal was supported by all ministers present except for Environment Minister Jan Dusik.

"It was a normal standard step in harmony with the government's order of procedure and general rules," Fischer said.

Bursik questions it. He recalls that the Environment Ministry sent the bill to the Chamber of Deputies when he was minister.

Tosovsky justified the proposal by the fact that the Chamber of Deputies had never debated the bill.

Fischer said a new state energy concept must be decided first. It is being discussed and comments will be assessed in September, Fischer added.

Fischer called the opinion that he succumbed to Dobrovsky's pressure via Mlynar absurd.

However, Bursik insists on the government's order of procedure being violated in this case and on external influence.

A proposal for withdrawing a bill must be submitted to all ministers, which did not occur in this case, Bursik added.

The media reported that Bursik worked for the Mostecka uhelna (MUS) coal-mining company which is now owned by Czech Coal.

Its representatives said the consultations in 2000-2003 concerned the strategic intention of MUS to open up the brown coal deposits beyond the territorial limits for future utilisation.

However, Bursik says he worked for MUS on the alternative of burning of the biomass and on liberalisation of the energy market.

He claims Czech Coal is leading a discrediting campaign against him.