Police chief's dismissal not connected with key bills, says PM

Prague, Aug 30 (CTK) - The Czech government parties' deputies should not connect the replacement of the police president with their support for the key bills that the Chamber of Deputies is to pass at the upcoming session, Prime Minister Petr Necas (Civic Democrats, ODS) told reporters Thursday.

He added that none of the coalition partners (TOP 09 and LIDEM) had asked him for a coalition meeting over the change at the police's helm and he did not plan to convoke such a meeting either.

"I have no idea how the filling of the police president's post, which is exclusively in power of the interior minister, can be related to the bills submitted to the Chamber of Deputies," Necas said.

He also sent a message to all government deputies saying his government would not continue if the key bills were not passed since its existence would lose sense.

Interior Minister Jan Kubice (unaffiliated) sacked police president Petr Lessy on Wednesday on the basis of the criminal charges of libel and abuse of power levelled against him by the General Inspection of Security Forces (GIBS).

He was replaced by his deputy Martin Cervicek on the same day.

Lessy was in dispute with Kubice as well as the leaders of the government ODS and TOP 09.

Deputy Prime Minister Karolina Peake (LIDEM) expressed surprise at the immediate appointment of Cervicek as the new police chief instead of charging him with heading the office only temporarily.

This step may "complicate the situation unnecessarily," she added.

The coalition should meet to discuss not only this issue but also the course of the lower house session next week, Peake told CTK in press release on Wednesday.

"I have not received any request for convoking the coalition talks, so I do not know how to react to it," Necas said Thursday.

President Vaclav Klaus expressed concern about the sudden dismissal of Lessy. Klaus said on Wednesday it would lead to instability of not only the police but also of the whole political scene.