Prague, June 22 (CTK) – The coalition agreement of the three government parties will change only minimally, the modifications will in fact be additions and they will not be principal, Social Democrat (CSSD) deputy head Lubomir Zaoralek told journalists after a meeting of Czech coalition leaders tonight.
Changes in the coalition agreement were proposed by the ANO movement of Finance Minister Andrej Babis. The leaders of the CSSD, ANO and Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL) will deal with them in two weeks.
ANO demanded the changes within a sharp dispute about a planned police shake-up.
Babis threatened to leave the government if Interior Minister Milan Chovanec (CSSD) signed the shake-up without discussing it in the coalition. However, Chovanec signed it anyway. ANO then moderated its position and said it wants changes to be made in the coalition agreement. It claims that Chovanec violated the agreement by the signing.
Chovanec admitted today that he should have told CSSD’s coalition partners about the planned police shake-up earlier, according to the participants in the meeting.
One of the points that ANO demanded was that there would be a deadline by which a negotiating meeting convoked by Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka (CSSD) must take place in case of a serious dispute in the coalition. ANO proposed that the deadline be 72 hours, or possibly three working days.
Though ANO and the KDU-CSL wanted the National Security Council to meet as soon as possible and discuss the controversies related to the police shake-up, they did not voice their demand anymore today and the council would meet as originally scheduled, on July 20, Zaoralek said.
On Tuesday, Sobotka said the council cannot be involved in open cases under police investigation. He indicated that the government would deal with the issue.
ANO lower house group head Jaroslav Faltynek indicated that his party was satisfied with this solution.
On June 27, Chovanec will submit a report on the planned police shake-up to the cabinet. ANO remains opposed to the plan. Justice Minister Robert Pelikan (ANO) said no written concept of the shake-up has been available so far.
Tonight, the coalition politicians discussed the possible release of police officers of the vow of secrecy at a meeting of the lower house security committee on Thursday.
Chovanec may release the policemen of secrecy during the meeting if regular investigation is concerned. If secret affairs are involved, the lower house would probably have to make the decision.
Senior members of the anti-mafia police unit, which is to merge with another squad within the shake-up, criticise the plan and say its real motive is to stop their investigation of information leaks from the police.
kva/dr
