Internal battle, not VAT rise behind ODS clash, politicians say

Prague, Sept 5 (CTK) - Czech government politicians believe that other reasons than the cited VAT increase are behind the rebellion of several deputies from the senior ruling Civic Democratic Party (ODS) who have refused to support the government's "stabilisation" tax package, they told CTK.

The seven rebels, headed by Petr Tluchor, say the government's VAT increase legislation proposed by Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek (TOP 09) and promoted by Prime Minister Petr Necas (ODS) goes counter to the ODS programme and its pre-election vow not to raise taxes.

As the supposed real reasons behind the rebellion, coalition deputies most often mention the internal struggle for power in the ODS and the effort of some to weaken Necas's position as the ODS chairman ahead of the party's election congress.

A coalition source also pointed out that some of the ODS rebels are linked to the General Health Insurance Company (VZP) and they are exerting pressure on Necas in order to prevent the police investigation into IZIP, the VZP's controversial project of patients' e-health records that was recently halted as disadvantageous and ineffective after ten years.

Health Minister Leos Heger's (TOP 09) recent criminal complaint has paved the way for the police's enquiry into IZIP.

"By lodging the criminal complaint on Monday, Minister Heger returned the focus of attention to the IZIP case, which was previously viewed as faded out by the central Bohemian health lobby in the ODS, which includes MPs Marek Snajdr and Petr Tluchor, former health minister Ludek Rubas, who is Tluchor's father-in-law, and MEP Milan Cabrnoch," a coalition source told CTK on condition of anonymity.

"By opposing the VAT increase, Tluchor and Snajdr are exerting pressure on the prime minister to stop Minister Heger," the source added.

He recalled that Tluchor is a member of the VZP board chaired by Snajdr.

Another of the rebelling ODS deputies, Tomas Ulehla, is a member of the VZP supervisory board. Of the remaining rebels, MP Ivan Fuksa is an old ally of Tluchor, the source said.

The other rebelling deputies are Radim Fiala, Jan Florian and Boris Stastny.

Stastny, too, is on the VZP board.

On the other hand, an ODS deputy said the rebels are no coherent group. The position of each is "a combination of more factors, personal and ideological," the source said.

He said the reason behind Tluchor's resistance to Necas is his and his allies' previous dispute over influence in central Bohemia and a long-lasting conflict between Necas and politicians close to Mirek Topolanek, Necas's predecessor at the helm of the party and the government.

"Ulehla and Florian have nothing in common with Tluchor. As far as the IZIP enquiry, the VZP board comprised politicians from across the political scene...They did not decide on issues that could imply crime," said the ODS deputy, who, too, requested anonymity.

"Simply, the [rebels'] aim is to harm Necas and try to unseat him [as ODS chairman] at the party congress," another ODS deputy told CTK.

The congress's result will depend on whether the rebels will manage to persuade the delegates that their only goal was to defend the ODS programme, or whether the party will unite in support of Necas, the deputy said.

Kalousek says the draft 2013 state budget his ministry has completed these days supposes the implementation of the tax package, including one-percent increase in both VAT rates, as a step to help keep the budget gap low.