Prague, Feb 27 (CTK) – Interior Minister Milan Chovanec (Social Democrats, CSSD) believes that the government will support the MPs’ proposed change to the constitutional law to enable legal arms owners to ensure the Czech Republic’s security, he told reporters before the government meeting yesterday.
Representatives of the Czech Hunters’ Association (CMMJ) and legal firearm holders passed on their petition with 50,000 signatures against the EU’s firearm regulation to the government that is to debate the change to the constitutional law on security yesterday.
Chovanec said the CSSD ministers supported his draft legislation.
“Let us see how our colleagues from the ANO movement, who take it as a political duel again, will behave,” Chovanec said.
It the government, which also comprises the Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL), issues a positive or neutral stance on the constitutional bill, the Chamber of Deputies will vote on it.
“I firmly believe that it will make it through and that we will gain enough votes in the Chamber of Deputies,” Chovanec said.
Justice Minister Robert Pelikan and Environment Minister Richard Brabec (both ANO) do not agree with the change to the constitutional law.
“I consider this constitutional change very dangerous and ill-conceived. I would not be pleased if it were adopted,” Pelikan said before the government meeting.
Chovanec admitted again yesterday that his proposal partially reacted to the EU directive that would tighten firearms possession conditions. The amendment is supposed to protect the strict and functioning Czech law, he added.
Chovanec pointed out that if the EU directive were passed in its “toughest” version, the Interior Ministry would file a lawsuit. It is preparing materials for it, he added.
Brabec challenges the EU directive as well. “I really consider the European directive wrong and useless,” he said.
The petition submitted to the Government Office yesterday reacts to the EU directive as well.
“The constitutional right to possess an arm is nothing else but the protection of our good law on arms and ammunition. No one tells people to equip themselves with arms or that arms should be distributed,” Bohumil Straka, from the CMMJ, told CTK.
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