ČSSD dismisses church's criticism of its election campaign against restitution

Prague, Aug 9 (CTK) - The Social Democratic Party (opposition CSSD) yesterday rejected the Czech church organisation's sharp criticism of its election billboards opposing the planned return of church property promoted by the right-wing coalition government of Petr Necas (Civic Democrats, ODS).

The CSSD campaign evokes the ill-famed anti-Semitic and anti-clerical posters of the Third Reich and similar tools of the communist propaganda, the heads of the Czech Bishops' Conference (CBK), the Ecumenical Council of Churches (ERC) and the Federation of Jewish Communities said this morning.

They criticise a CSSD billboard saying the government parties want to donate 134 billion crowns to churches and showing a picture of a blue (ODS colour) hand giving a sack of money to another hand, probably of a clergyman.

The Social Democrats said in reaction church representatives should not mix up respect for religious freedoms and a debate on the distribution of property from public resources.

CSSD deputy chairman Lubomir Zaoralek said the role of the Catholic Church is unclear during World War Two, but many social democrats lost their lives because of their stances during the Nazi occupation of the country.

Zaoralek said Prague Archbishop Dominik Duka should better study history and not make unacceptable statements.

Another CSSD billboard says the ODS and its coalition partner TOP 09 want to take away 48 billion crowns from the pockets of pensioners, hinting at the cost of the planned state-church property settlement.

The billboards are part of the campaign ahead of the autumn elections to the Senate and regional authorities.

Czech churches said in their statement that the CSSD demagogic campaign is "stirring up the atmosphere of unsubstantiated envy and hatred in society" and "threatening the very essence of democracy."

The lower house of parliament passed the government bill returning the former property to Czech churches, of which the Roman Catholic Church is the largest, on July 14, after more than 20 years of discussions.

The left-dominated upper house, which is to debate the bill now, is expected to turn it down. Then the bill would return to the lower house that would probably outvote the senators' veto.

Under the bill, churches are to be returned land and real estate worth 75 billion and given 59 billion crowns in compensation for unreturned property during the following 30 years. The largest compensation, 47 billion crowns, is to go to the Roman Catholics.

($1=20.406 crowns)