New Czech president may sign bills left over by predecessor

"The new president, figuratively speaking, will put on the shoes of the previous president and will be performing the authorisations and powers that are linked to the presidential office and that must be performed," former Constitutional Court (US) judge Eliska Wagnerova said.

"These authorisations and powers are no personal privileges, but they are tied to the post and on principle, it does not matter who is exercising the post," Wagnerova said.

"Not the person, but the institution, this is what matters," constitutional lawyer Jan Kysela said. He said the new president is "getting on a moving train."

Under the constitution, the president has 15 days to assess bills. In case of Klaus whose mandate expires on March 7 this deadline starts to run on February 21.

Zeman´s inauguration is scheduled for March 8.

There are six bills that may be delivered to the presidential seat at Prague Castle this month and that Zeman may already be dealing with. They were either rejected or recommended by the Senate last week.

It will depend on how quickly the legislation will be delivered to the Prague Castle.

One of the bills introduces compulsory electronic prescriptions. The Senate has returned it to the Chamber of Deputies that is to take a new vote on it next week.

Zeman will also get for signature an addendum to the Lisbon Treaty on the euro zone´s new rescue fund - the European Stabilisation Mechanism (ESM).

The Czech Republic is the last EU country not to have completed the process of ratification.

The Senate unsuccessfully called on Klaus two months ago to sign the document that parliament passed last year.

Wagnerova said Zeman will have to sign the ESM also with regard for the US´s verdict of November 2009. In the opposite case senators have already indicated that they would turn to the US again.

Author: ČTK
www.ctk.cz