Prague, Jan 23 (CTK) – Alcohol can be served in all restaurants and other establishments on the Czech lower house’s premises during sessions again as Chamber of Deputies chairman Radek Vondracek (ANO) decided on Tuesday to lift the respective ban, introduced some four years ago.
However, Vondracek admitted that he might re-introduce the restriction if need be.
There are more than 120 new MPs in the 200-seat Chamber of Deputies after the last October general election, he noted.
“I hope that some alcohol excesses are a matter of the past. Besides, the mere ban did not prevent the (alcohol) consumption, which we witnessed several times,” Vondracek wrote to CTK.
He justified his decision by social events held in the Chamber of Deputies.
“Moreover, a number of guests are visiting the Chamber of Deputies and the ban applied to them, too,” he pointed out.
Vondracek says he hopes that the MPs are adults who are aware that they should not consume alcohol at work.
“If I found out during a session that someone is under the influence of alcohol and I have it confirmed that they consumed it in a (parliament) restaurant, I will resume the ban again immediately. Let us say that all are on probation now,” he said.
The ban on serving alcohol in all restaurants and clubs in the lower house buildings during the session days was introduced by Vondracek’s predecessor Jan Hamacek (Social Democrats, CSSD) in the past term. It was valid from March 7, 2014.
The ban caused a considerable decrease in the restaurants’ sales.
The cases of drunk MPs during the Chamber sessions are rather rare.
The most notorious one occurred in 2013 when Civic Democrat (ODS) deputy Petr Kott, who was later sent to prison in the corruption case of former Social Democrat (CSSD) regional governor David Rath, was not able to vote during the session due to his severe drunkenness.
