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Case of deputy PM Cunek must be solved quickly - govt coalition

22 October 2012
2 minute read

The situation around Czech deputy PM and Christian Democrat (KDU-CSL) chairman Jiri Cunek is serious and must be solved quickly, the leaders of the government coalition parties, the senior ruling Civic Democrats (ODS), the KDU-CSL and the Greens, agreed today, ODS deputies’ group head Petr Tluchor told reporters after the coalition meeting.

The Civic Democrats and the Greens wait for the stance of the Christian Democrats who will meet at their national conference on Wednesday. Until then Cunek remains deputy PM and local development minister, Tluchor added.

"We have agreed in the coalition nine (K9) that the situation is really serious and that it must be solved relatively quickly," Tluchor said.

"We rely on the Christian Democrats to comment on it seriously as the K9 commented on it today," Tluchor noted, adding that Cunek himself realises that the situation is serious.

PM Mirek Topolanek (ODS) refused to comment on the results of the coalition meeting on Cunek.

Cunek stressed that he was given no deadline or ultimatum from another two government parties. He reiterated he would not resign himself.

"I know what the situation is. It is serious, not only now. I feel the media pressure," Cunek said, adding he considers objections of some of his party colleagues rightful.

The police have accused Cunek of accepting a bribe worth 500,000 crowns from a real estate company in his capacity as mayor of Vsetin, north Moravia, in 2002.

Most recently, he has been criticised over his controversial statements on Romanies in the tabloid Blesk.

Greens say that Cunek’s problems weaken the position of the entire government coalition at the moment it needs energy to promote the key reforms.

Katerina Jacques, head of the Greens deputies’ group, said that it is now up to the Christian Democrats to act. She stressed her party’s strong interest in keeping the coalition together and pushing through the jointly planned reform steps, but she said that scandals concerning Cunek complicated these plans.

KDU-CSL first deputy chairman Roman Linek said that his party would now discuss various alternatives of the solution which the coalition partners proposed today, but he did not elaborate.

Topolanek as well as Greens chairman Martin Bursik have repeatedly spoken about the mechanism that would secure Cunek’s return to the government after he cleaned himself of the corruption accusation.

Linek, too, admitted that the situation was serious both over the continuing prosecution of Cunek and over his abusive words of Romanies.

Cunek has repeatedly said he would not resign over the corruption accusations or his latest statements which, he admitted, were rather unfortunate.

His statements on Romanies have been condemned by the Greens, the ODS and the left-wing opposition. He also came under sharp criticism of President Vaclav Klaus and Romany activists have expressed their indignation as well.

The coalition parties’ leaders along with some other politicians, including Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg, also debated the European constitution tonight.

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