PM wants unaffiliated expert for defense minister

Prague, March 13 (CTK) - Czech Prime Minister Petr Necas's Civic Democratic Party (ODS) does not claim the post of defence minister, Necas said yesterday, adding that he is seeking an unaffiliated expert for the post.

Necas has temporarily headed the ministry since December when he sacked Karolina Peake, head of the smallest government party LIDEM, after eight days in the post defence minister.

The ministry's everyday operation has been supervised by widely respected first deputy minister Vlastimil Picek (unaffiliated).

Necas told journalists he wants to find a new minister as quickly as possible, but he stressed that the selection is a unique and exclusive procedure.

Necas said he wants to find an unaffiliated expert who would be competent in the defence area but would also be acceptable for the ODS's coalition partners, TOP 09 and LIDEM.

Earlier this week, TOP 09 chairman and Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg said a new defence minister should be found as soon as possible.

He ironically noticed that the ODS, whose voter preferences have been declining, may be eyeing another significant post of a minister.

"The ODS does not claim the [post of defence] sector [head]," Necas said yesterday.

He said the ODS, which originally was in control of the Defence Ministry, respects that it swapped it with LIDEM for the Transport Ministry late last year. It does not seek the seat of the defence minister.

According to media and behind-the-scenes speculations, the seat may go to Picek or to a respected diplomat, for example Veronika Kuchynova Smigelova, Czech ambassador to the OSCE and the UN.

Necas said he would not speculate about possible candidates. He said the choice of a new minister has been delayed due to the January presidential election, among others.

In mid-January, Schwarzenberg advanced to the second round of the presidential poll and for some time it was not clear who the further TOP 09 chairman will be. He finally lost the race to Milos Zeman, former socialist prime minister.

In the 16-seat cabinet, the ODS has six seats, including the prime minister, TOP 09 has five seats and LIDEM two. Two ministers are unaffiliated and a regular defence minister is yet to be appointed.