Kocáb offers to resign over his private life, Abbasová has given notice

Czech Minister for Human Rights Kocáb has offered his resignation to Czech PM Jan Fischer due to media reports about his private life. Fischer does not want to accept his resignation. Today the daily Blesk reported that Kocáb is having an affair with his spokesperson, Lejla Abbásová. News server iDNES.cz reports she has given notice, which has been accepted.

“PM Jan Fischer received a letter today from Michael Kocáb offering to resign from his post as Minister for Human Rights. The PM intends to speak personally with the minister about this matter; as of this moment, he has decided not to accept his resignation,” Fischer’s press release says.

Government spokesperson Roman Prorok confirmed to the Czech Press Agency that Fischer received a resignation letter from Kocáb today. News servers Týden.cz, Aktuálně.cz and iDNES.cz report Kocáb as saying he does not want to endanger the topic of human rights and cause a substantive debate to become a debate about personal relationships.

News server iDNES.cz quotes his resignation letter as follows: “I have done my best to perform my work at the Human Rights Ministry as responsibly as possible, with the full strength of my convictions, and I do not want to endanger the topic and cause a substantive debate to turn into a debate about personal relationships. At this moment, when some media are publicizing sensitive information about my private life, I want to act in accordance with my conscience.”

Kocáb, nominated by the Green Party, was the only member of the preceding Topolánek cabinet to join the caretaker government. He took office in the second half of January 2009. Prior to taking office he was known as an entrepreneur, a musician, and a negotiator in the departure of Soviet soldiers from Czechoslovakia at the start of the 1990s.

According to Blesk, Kocáb’s wife Marsha has decided to divorce her husband after 27 years over the alleged affair between the minister and his 30-year-old spokesperson. Abbásová, who is a model and television moderator, was hired when Kocáb took office.

MINISTER MICHAEL KOCÁB’S STATEMENT

This afternoon I delivered to PM Jan Fischer a personal letter offering my resignation from the post of minister in his government. I very much value the work of the Prime Minister’s Office and his personal stances. I value the work of the government, I perceive the support it has among our citizens, and I do not want the public airing of my personal life to cast a shadow over everything the government has achieved in its difficult role.

I have done my best to perform my work at the Human Rights Ministry as responsibly as possible, with all my energy and my full convictions, and I do not what to endanger the topic and cause a substantive debate to turn into a debate about personal relationships. At this moment, when some media are publicizing sensitive information about my private life, I want to act in accordance with my conscience.

I do not intend to evade the media or to minimize the facts that have been publicized. My wife Marsha and I have been separated for the last eight years. We have remained in the same household for the sake of our children and our deep relationship to the family we have built together. Our love has transformed itself into friendship and mutual respect. We have been planning a calm, friendly divorce for more than two years. I did not meet Lejla Abbasová until I took office, and she is in no way the cause of our divorce.

Michael Kocáb

Source: iDNES.cz