New justice minister stresses control over prosecutors

Prague, July 3 (CTK) - The decision-making powers of state attorneys must be balanced out by their control, new Czech Justice Minister Pavel Blazek (Civic Democrats, ODS) said after his appointment Tuesday.

Blazek pointed out that the ministry is superior to the state attorney's offices.

Prime Minister and ODS leader Petr Necas rather unexpectedly dismissed Jiri Pospisil (ODS) as justice minister last week, saying he failed in managing the ministry and wanted to raise its budget.

The media, experts and the opposition said this seemed to be a pretext and the real reasons were different, among others that Pospisil had to go because he planned to appoint Lenka Bradacova, a popular attorney widely praised for her anti-corruption fight, the Prague high state attorney.

Pospisil said after his dismissal that his successor should complete the bill on state attorney's offices and appoint a respected high state attorney in Prague.

In an interview released in Tuesday's Mlada fronta Dnes (MfD) daily, Blazek is critical of the fact that the bill on state attorney's offices was worked out by state attorneys. He told the paper he opposes the planned extended powers of the Supreme State Attorney's Office.

Blazek Tuesday said he respected Supreme State Attorney Pavel Zeman, but that there must be a balance of powers. Zeman will not be the chief of Czech attorneys forever, he added.

He said the head of the planned anti-corruption state attorney's office should not be chosen only by the supreme attorney.

Blazek said he wants to discuss the bill on state attorney's offices with judges, lawyers and politicians.

He said he is going to have talks with Zeman about his proposal of Bradacova for high state attorney. He added he would like to meet her, too.

Blazek said he would try to save money in his budget.

"I don't want to make the mistakes my predecessor made because I don't want to end like him," he said, referring to Pospisil's dismissal.

Blazek admitted that the prison sector had serious financial problems.

"The government is headed by Petr Necas who insists on saving wherever possible, and I believe he is right," Blazek said.

In early 2011, however, Blazek told Respekt weekly that government policy cannot be based on the state budget only. He criticised the allegedly extreme focus on the budget.

Necas was not on good terms with Blazek in the past few years. In 2010 he criticised Blazek for having supported the formation of an ODS coalition with the Social Democrats (CSSD) at Brno town hall. Blazek said Necas initiated his dismissal from the Lesy CR state forestry company's supervisory board in 2010. He also blamed Necas for his bad communication in the party.

Blazek, 43, is ODS deputy chairman. He is a lawyer by profession. President Vaclav Klaus appointed him as minister Tuesday.