- Title: CZECH REPUBLIC: Czech President meets police chief ahead of no-confidence vote.
- Date: 18th July 2012
- Summary: PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC (JULY 18, 2012) (REUTERS) ( ** BEWARE FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY **) EXTERIOR OF PRAGUE CASTLE WITH TOURISTS CZECH POLICE PRESIDENT PETR LESSY ARRIVING, SHAKING HANDS WITH VACLAV KLAUS (SOUNDBITE) (Czech) CZECH PRESIDENT VACLAV KLAUS SAYING: "I've organised this meeting because I consider the situation very serious. The situation when direct and indirect attacks on police and the police president take place is unacceptable. I am convinced that it is necessary to calm the tensions and cool some hot heads. That is why I've invited the police president to talk about these issues and I want to assure him that he has my support in his efforts to protect the police from destabilisation and outside influence." CAMERAMAN (SOUNDBITE) (Czech) CZECH POLICE PRESIDENT PETR LESSY SAYING: "I am ready to describe to Mr. President the situation regarding the police in the last days in details because we are also unhappy about it. We need resolution to be able to do our work." LESSY AND KLAUS LEAVING
- Embargoed: 2nd August 2012 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Czech Republic
- Country: Czech Republic
- Topics: Crime,Politics
- Reuters ID: LVACO2RGEZZBV7PGBNO2MD8KKTJS
- Story Text: Czech President Vaclav Klaus holds a meeting with Police President Petr Lessy ahead of a no-confidence motion in the government following a row over accusations of corruption.
Czech President Vaclav Klaus met Police President Petr Lessy on Wednesday (July 18) just hours ahead of a no-confidence motion in the government following a row over accusations of corruption.
The main Czech opposition party decided to file a no-confidence motion which threatens to force its market-favoured finance minister to resign.
The government has a majority in parliament and will likely survive but there is growing pressure on Minister Miroslav Kalousek to quit given evidence that he tried to influence police investigators of an army procurement deal.
Police president Petr Lessy said at a parliamentary committee meeting last Friday that Kalousek made improper comments in a phone call to him last week in connection with an investigation of the purchase of transport planes in 2009.
"I've organised this meeting because I consider the situation very serious. The situation when direct and indirect attacks on police and the police president take place is unacceptable. I am convinced that it is necessary to calm the tensions and cool some hot heads. That is why I've invited the police president to talk about these issues and I want to assure him that he has my support in his efforts to protect the police from destabilisation and outside influence," said Klaus to media after greeting Lessy.
"I am ready to describe to Mr. President the situation regarding the police in the last days in details because we are also unhappy about it. We need resolution to be able to do our work," Petr Lessy said.
Kalousek, a political veteran, is a leader of a junior coalition party and his ousting from the cabinet would shake the entire centre-right government. He denies putting any pressure on police officials.
The committee, dominated by the opposition, approved a non-binding resolution calling on Prime Minister Petr Necas to dismiss Kalousek.
In the last confidence vote in April, the government won 105 votes in the 200-seat chamber.
The affair is a blow to the EU country's political elite, struck by a series of graft scandals that have dominated political life in the past months. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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