Prague, Feb 27 (CTK) – The Czech government did not agree on its stance on an amendment to the constitutional law to enable legal arms holders to ensure state security, and consequently the parliament will decide on the bill, government spokesman Martin Ayrer tweeted yesterday.
The amendment must be approved by a three-fifth constitutional majority in the lower and upper houses of parliament.
The constitutional bill is supported by Interior Minister Milan Chovanec (Social Democrats, CSSD) and 34 MPs for the CSSD and the opposition Communists (KSCM) and the Civic Democrats (ODS).
Its authors say the aim of the amendment is not to embed the arm possession as a fundamental right, but to enable people to assume responsibility for security to a higher extent.
The Czech Republic would thereby explicitly accept arms possession and holding, if in compliance with law, as being part of ensuring the country’s security.
The current legal arms possession conditions would remain valid.
The amendment was also motivated by the EU directive that would tighten firearms possession conditions and that the Czech Republic criticised.
The European Parliament (EP) is to vote on the directive in March.
Chovanec said 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.
The draft authors point out that the amendment does not call on citizens to acquire firearms en masse and that it should not lead to a rising number of arms use cases.
The state would thereby support cooperation with legal arms holders, the authors say, arguing with defence against terrorists.
As of the beginning of January, more that 300,300 people held firearm licences and the authorities registered 801,500 arms in the Czech Republic with a population of 10.5 million.
Representatives of the Czech Hunters’ Association (CMMJ) and legal firearm holders submitted their petition with 50,000 signatures against the EU’s firearm regulation and in support of Chovanec’s proposal to the government yesterday.
