Czech Women's Lobby wants Zeman to apologise for statement about rape

Prague, Jan 22 (CTK) - Czech feminists want presidential candidate Milos Zeman to apologise for his statement about raping as an evolution advantage with which he wanted to explain to his rival, nobleman Karel Schwarzenberg, why princes have degenerated that he made in a TV debate on Friday.

The Czech Women's Lobby, whose director Jana Smiggels Kavkova has written an open letter to Zeman, says similar statements offend all women.

Former Social Democrat prime minister Zeman (now SPOZ) and Foreign Minister and TOP 09 head Karel Schwarzenberg will compete for the presidential post in a direct presidential election run-off on January 25-26.

"Do you know the difference between princes and squires? Princes had the right of the first night, due to which they degenerated because they did not have to rape their female serfs, which means they did not have to use energy for the raping. On the other hand we, squires, always had to use much energy to fight out their rights, not only in the sphere of sex, and therefore we did not degenerate," Zeman, whose name translates into English as squire, said on Prima Family TV.

The association of organisations focused on women's rights considers this statement entirely inadmissible, inexcusable and reaching far beyond the border of good taste.

"The disrespecting of the victims of rape and other forms of violence against women that are, unfortunately, common in our society, survives precisely thanks to such would-be witty statements like yours. If it is made in a television debate, it has an impact on lots of male and female spectators," the feminists wrote to Zeman.

They called on him to apologise for the statement.

"It is offending all women, and not only them. You, too, are a father and husband, and respect for women should also be in your interest," the Czech Women's Lobby wrote.

Schwarzenberg also made a would-be witty statement about former lawmakers for the senior ruling Civic Democrats (ODS), who gave up their mandates to allow the passing of a tax package with which they disagreed last December and they have gained lucrative posts in state firms, in a pre-election debate on Czech Television (CT) last week.

He said if a man has a girl friend who does not like doing certain tasks, relations are strengthened if she gets a beautiful necklace.

Schwarzenberg apologised for his statement about women in a pre-election debate Tuesday.