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Czech foxes protected against animal cruelty ... national committee that the government coalition had not fulfilled its task by the postponement of the debate on the controversial bill in the Chamber of Deputies, which was initiated by some senior ruling Civic Democrat (ODS) MPs, headed by Vlastimil Tlusty, "The KDU-CSL naturally fully supports the government bill [on state-church settlement].
This is also why I believe that our coalition partner [ODS] will solve its problems and that the bill will be debated and passed," said Cunek. The government will not deal with the state-church settlement on Wednesday since PM Mirek Topolanek (ODS chairman) will not participate in the meeting. The coalition parties' leaders (K9) are to debate the legislation next week. Cunek stressed that the state-church settlement is a significant priority for the Christian Democrats and for the whole government. Nevertheless, he added, this bill would by no means be linked to a vote of confidence in the government, health care bills or the planned U.S. radar base on Czech soil. Chamber of Deputies deputy chairman Jan Kasal (KDU-CSL) indicated last week that he might not vote for the health care reform, promoted by the ODS, if the Civic Democrats did not support the state-church settlement. The ODS leaders say the internal party "rebels" would actually like to split the current coalition and they use the church bill as a mere pretext, which the deputies around Tlusty decline. Cunek, nevertheless, calls Tlusty's proposals "fundamental complications," since not only the government but also the churches would have to agree on them, which would postpone the legislation by months with an uncertain result. Under the bill submitted by the government, churches are to be returned one-third of their former property, confiscated by the Communists, and to receive 83 billion crowns in compensation for the rest. The compensation is to be gradually paid in the following 60 years. Along with the interests, the sum would climb up to 270 billion crowns. Critics of the legislation point out that the government thereby gives churches preferential treatment, compared to other property restitution claimants. ($1=16.166 crowns)
(Ceske Noviny)
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