Czech KSCM asks presidential candidate to apologise for his words

Fischer said in today´s issue of daily Mlada fronta Dnes (MfD) he would not definitely accept a government with Communists if he were elected Czech president next year.

"If the prime minister-designate submitted a proposal to me that would mean forming a government including the KSCM, I simply would not accept it," Fischer told MfD.

Fischer, an independent presidential candidate, headed the Czech caretaker cabinet in 2009-2010.

"His (Fischer´s) statement breaches constitutionality because it denies citizens´ equality and their right to participate in the administration of the state and it does not respect the principles of building the state´s constitutional bodies," Filip wrote.

Fischer said in the interview the Communists, who got 20.4 percent of the vote in the recent regional elections, are an extremist party.

Fischer, 61, himself was a member of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (KSC) in 1980-1989.

"The KSCM´s activities are in full consistence with the Czech constitution. It proposes changes to it by legal means only. It respects commitments signed under international law, and if it presents proposals for changes to them, it always does so in harmony with international law," Filip wrote.

The Social Democrat (CSSD) presidential candidate, Jiri Dienstbier, also criticised Fischer´s statements and said his words that he would not accept a government with participation of Communists were at variance with the constitution.

Dienstbier said the Czech constitution clearly says the prime minister is "is appointed by the president who names at the prime minister's proposal the other government members, entrusting them with managing the ministries and other offices."

Dienstbier said citizens in a democratic country decide on their government in free elections.

"The president is no tsar and the Czech Republic is no (tsarist) autocracy in which a president could decide on who is likeable for him and who not when a government is formed," Dienstbier said.

"The Czech constitution is valid for everybody and presidential candidates should read it before making such populist statements," he added.

The Czechs will go to the first presidential election on January 11-12, 2013 when the first round will be held. The second round, to which the two most successful candidates will advance, will be held two weeks later. Until now Czech presidents have been elected by the two houses of parliament.

The second and last five-year term of the incumbent President Vaclav Klaus expires in March.

Fischer is a favourite of the election along with another ex-prime minister, Milos Zeman (formerly Social Democrats, CSSD).

Author: ČTK
www.ctk.cz