Prague, March 6 (CTK) – The Czech Communists (KSCM) may reconsider their readiness to tolerate the second government of the ANO movement because their partner does not seem trustworthy enough, their leader Vojtech Filip said after KSCM MP Zdenek Ondracek was forced to resign from a senior parliamentary post on Tuesday.
ANO lower house group’s head Jaroslav Faltynek said he believes Ondracek’s resignation would not influence the negotiations between ANO and the Communists. He dismissed the idea that his resignation was a part of a political bargain.
Faltynek said he appreciated it that Ondracek resigned on his own and there was no need to dismiss him.
Last Friday, Ondracek was elected head of the lower house commission supervising the General Inspection of Security Corps (GIBS), also thanks to support from ANO. Having been one of the riot police officers who beat participants in calm anti-communist rallies in 1989 and not apologising for this in any way, Ondracek became a point of controversy and his nomination for the GIBS commission head led to protests. These protests started last autumn when Ondracek’s first attempt to become the commission’s head failed.
In reaction to a strong wave a protests all over the country, Babis said on Sunday he would propose Ondracek’s dismissal.
Faltynek said the protests organised on Monday seemed to be aimed against the ANO government rather than against Ondracek. “We see them primarily as an event and demonstration against Babis, the ANO movement and the government,” he said.
The right-wing opposition Civic Democrats (ODS) planned to call for a parliamentary vote on Ondracek’s sacking. If ANO supported the plan and voted for sacking him, it would have been pushed through.
Ondracek announced his resignation shortly before the planned vote on Tuesday. He said he took the step because he feared for the safety of his family and himself.
Filip said Ondracek faced repugnant threats.
He said the trustworthiness of ANO rather than programme differences may be a problem in the negotiations about the possible next government.
Filip said the KSCM is yet to decide how it is going to further proceed in the dispute over the GIBS commission. He said this would influence the negotiations with ANO. He said he can see no reason why Ondracek should be replaced in the post of the commission’s head.
The KSCM argued previously that the nominations for heads of lower house commissions and committees were based on an agreement of all the nine parties represented in the house and that the democratic parties were challenging this agreement. Some parties claim there was no agreement because ANO, the KSCM and the right-wing populist Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) made a pact and pushed through their own plan.
Faltynek said he expects parties to seek an agreement on a new head of the GIBS commission.
