Prague, Dec 9 (CTK) – Czech ambassadors are likely to be able to stay in their posts after turning 70, according to a draft amendment that the Chamber of Deputies passed yesterday, but this will not probably apply to the incumbent ambassadors to Syria and Slovakia, Eva Filipi and Livia Klausova, respectively.
The amendment that President Milos Zeman, who appoints and dismisses ambassadors, is pushing through for the sake of Filipi, is yet to be discussed by the Senate and it will not probably take effect in time for her and Klausova.
The Foreign Ministry wants to ensure that Klausova and Filipi be able to complete their terms and it will consider various alternatives, perhaps signing a work agreement with them, Irena Valentova, from the press department, told CTK.
The age limit is set by the civil service law that took effect in July.
The passed change rests in that the diplomats who turn 70 during their term will be able to complete their mission. However, this will not apply retroactively.
Both Filipi and Klausova were to leave their posts this year according to the civil service law.
The government amendment also introduces other changes, concerning tenders and work of diplomats after their return from abroad.
It allows the employment of the diplomats´ partners who accompany them on their missions. This would save some 80 million crowns.
The valid legislation does not allow the employment of family members over a conflict of interests.
The amendment authors say the ministry´s activity could be paralysed if the need to hold tenders for certain posts were not restricted.
The amendment also stipulates that the candidate for an ambassador need not have an employment agreement with the Foreign Ministry.
The lawmakers also changed the government-proposed provision according to which the employees of the foreign and defence ministries could be sent abroad even without their agreement, cutting the period from one year to half a year and setting other conditions, for instance, that this could only happen once in five years.
Pregnant women and people taking care of a child will be exempted from this provision.
($1=24.841 crowns)
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