KSČM plan constitutional complaint about church restitution

Prague, Jan 10 (CTK) - The Czech opposition Communists (KSCM) are preparing to file a complaint about the law on return of property to churches with the Constitutional Court (US), saying it is at variance with the constitutional order, party lawmaker Stanisalv Grospic said Thursday.

He said the KSCM will submit the complaint for signature to other lawmakers who disagree with the law on state-church property settlement.

Grospic, the KSCM's shadow justice minister, said the church property claims reflected in the law do not correspond to the churches' real property share in the past.

He said there is also a threat that the February 25, 1948 restitution limit may be broken.

Grospic said the threat ensues from the article of the law that speaks about a revision of the steps that are tied to the second land reform from 1947.

In February 1948 the Communists seized power in then Czechoslovakia.

The Communists also challenge the appreciation of the church property and they want to attack the procedure of passing the bill in the Chamber of Deputies after it was vetoed by the Senate, Grospic said.

Minimally 41 Chamber of Deputies lawmakers are required for a constitutional complaint. The Communists only have 26 deputies and they will need signatures of other parties' lawmakers.

The senior opposition Social Democrats (CSSD) are also preparing a complaint with the US.

Grospic said, however, the Communists do not share their opinion that it is necessary to wait for new US judges to be named.

Under the restitution law, churches are to get real estate worth some 75 billion crowns from the state on condition they prove their title to it and a financial compensation of 59 billion crowns.

The compensation is to be paid for real estate owned by municipalities, regions and individuals that cannot be returned to the churches.

This will make about two billion crowns annually plus inflation.

At the same time the state will gradually cease to pay the churches 1.5 billion crowns for salaries annually over a 17-year transitional period.