Czech President Václav Klaus on Tuesday vetoed a controversial bill which would give towns the power to banish repeat offenders without permanent residence from their territory for up to three months. Authors of the legislation say it will provide a much needed tool to fight petty crime and misdemeanours. But the president sided with the bill’s critics and said it might be in breach of the constitution. In a written statement to the press, the president said the bill was populist, politically motivated and ill-conceived, and could be easily abused.