Czech govt ODS politicians sign petition supported by extremists

Several Czech senior ruling Civic Democrat (ODS) politicians have signed a petition defending "traditional values" among whose signatories some extreme right-wingers figure, the daily Denik has reported.

The petition calls for the defence of values as the nation, family and the traditional division of roles between men and women.

The ODS signatories reject any connection with the extreme right. They said they signed the petition as they agreed with its contents and that they had no idea who had prepared and signed it.

Among the signatories are ODS MPs Petr Pleva, Eva Dundackova, Alena Paralova, Juraj Raninc, Josef Jezek, Zdenek Prosek and ODS senator Karel Tejnora.

The petition, released on the National Press Agency website, has also been signed by representatives of the Law and Justice movement and the Patriotic Front association that the BIS counter-intelligence service mentioned among extremist nationalist up to xenophobic organisations in its 2006 annual report.

"I have nothing in common with the Czech ultra-right...I have signed the D.O.S.T. petition since I feel sympathies for the values it refers to and I have found nothing harmful in it," Dundackova told CTK, adding she received the petition by mail and did not know who was among its signatories.

The petition, among others, warns against the "anti-discriminatory agenda," allegedly spread from the EU ideology, rejects the "dismantling" of the traditional family based on marriage between man and woman, and "sexless" society that disrespects differences between both genders.

Dundackova pointed out that she, for instance, immensely minds the abolition of the directive banning women's work in mines, in connection with the EU-demanded anti-discriminatory law.