PM condemns senators' complaint against Klaus

Prague, Feb 27 (CTK) - Czech Prime Minister Petr Necas (Civic Democrats, ODS) yesterday sharply condemned some senators' signature under a proposal for a constitutional complaint against President Vaclav Klaus on suspicion of high treason.

Necas said he was ashamed of them.

The senators want to sue Klaus mainly over his New Year amnesty but also over his delay of the signature under the Lisbon Treaty, the addendum to the European Social Charter and over other issues.

Necas said at a press conference after the government meeting yesterday he had never experienced such a despicable "human and political paltriness" during his more than 20 years in politics.

"I feel ashamed of them (the senators). Shame on them," Necas told reporters.

Klaus's amnesty applies to convicts with low suspended or prison sentences and elderly convicts and it also halts criminal proceedings if they lasted for more than eight years, and if the maximum prison sentence that can be imposed in such cases does not exceed ten years.

This provision was sharply criticised since it applies to some serious corruption and financial crime cases.

Twenty-eight senators signed the draft complaint against Klaus, whose second and last five-year term in office expires on March 7.

An extraordinary session of the Senate to decide whether the complaint would be filed with the Constitutional Court might be held on Monday, according to unofficial information.

Klaus, who ends his two-day official visit to Slovakia yesterday, called the senators' step "political games."