More than 3000 demonstrate against govt, its reforms

Prague, Oct 22 (CTK) - More than 3000 people joined the march through Prague that the ProAlt group organised Saturday in protest against the Czech government and its reforms.

No incidents accompanied the march stopping in front of the Government Office where the crowd, carrying posters and banners, was addressed by the organisers and by invited politicians from the opposition Social Democrat (CSSD) and Communist (KSCM) parties, and from the extra-parliamentary Green Party and the Czech Pirate Party.

The demonstrators also included members of KOVO, the strong union of metallurgy workers, and members of the health and social care workers' union.

The police estimated the number of participants at 3000 to 4000.

ProAlt spokeswoman Tereza Stoeckelova said the real inciters of the government reforms are banks and financial sector representatives. The government is introducing changes to their benefit, therefore a stronger public supervision of these subjects is needed, Stoeckelova said.

ProAlt's Jan Majicek said the government reforms will afflict low-income families. He said the demonstrators are opposed to plans such as the introduction of tuition fees at universities and paid health care.

"It is not true that there is no money, it has only been distributed wrongly," Majicek said.

Vaclav Krasa, chairman of the National council of the disabled, said the reform legislation has lowered the standard of living of disabled people, who now live in material deprivation and fear what next the cabinet may come up with.

CSSD chairman Bohuslav Sobotka said he wants a referendum bill to be passed, which would strengthen the power of those dissatisfied.

Green Party chairman Ondrej Liska said the government's referendum bill is a mere game. In the same way, the government's proclaimed fight against corruption is nothing but "playing for fight against corruption," Liska said.

CSSD leaders said the demonstration was a bill that people submitted to the government.

"We have a helpless government that harms the country and that is rightfully mistrusted by people, and a prime minister who is incapable of admitting this," said Sobotka.

He said Prime Minister Petr Necas (Civic Democrats, ODS) has forgotten to tell people that the government reform will be paid only by the middle class and lower-income groups, and that the reform costs will not be spread evenly.

The government has no plan to tackle the risks carried by the developments in Europe, Sobotka added.

CSSD deputy chairman Lubomir Zaoralek said the government is incapable of coping with corruption "of Balkan dimensions" and has been raising social inequality.

Reacting to Necas's words that Czech euro zone entry should be decided on in a referendum, Zaoralek said the CSSD is not opposed to the idea, which however, is not topical at all.

"No one urges us to enter the euro zone now," he said.