Prague, Nov 16 (CTK) – Milan Stech (Social Democrats, CSSD) was re-elected Czech Senate chairman as expected on Wednesday, though some senators did not back him due to his support for a recent pro-China statement of four constitutional officials.
In the secret vote, Stech was supported by 54 out of 78 senators present. Four votes were invalid.
On Tuesday, the Senate groups of the Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL) and Mayors (STAN) said they would not vote for Stech due to the pro-China statement he supported together with President Milos Zeman, Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka and Chamber of Deputies head Jan Hamacek (both CSSD).
In the statement, the four voiced respect for China’s integrity and dissociated themselves from the meetings some politicians, including Christian Democrats, had with the Tibetan Dalai Lama.
Stech, 63, has chaired the Senate, the upper house of parliament, since 2010.
He was the only candidate for the post. He was elected in the first round of the vote.
Stech said he wants the Senate to continue approaching issues responsibly and prudently and to be a house whose sessions are not misused by some to settle personal accounts.
“I believe that the Senate will continue gaining people’s confidence like in the past six years. I also believe that we will jointly push through certain changes for people to notice the Senate more and for the upper house to strengthen its position in the constitutional system,” Stech said.
The STAN and KDU-CSL groups together have 27 senators. In spite of the two groups’ previous refusal to support Stech, some of their members must have voted for him, judging by the election outcome.
