?TK |
5 October 2011
Prague, Oct 4 (CTK) - The two Czech junior ruling parties differ on PM Petr Necas's decision to have Ivan Fuksa sacked as agriculture minister yesterday, a step TOP 09 deputy head Miroslav Kalousek links to disputes among Necas's Civic Democrats (ODS) while Public Affairs (VV) considers it a change for the better.
Unlike Necas, who explained his decision by his longtime dissatisfaction with Fuksa's (ODS) work, Kalousek described Fuksa as a competent minister.
"This is an absurd argument, not even the prime minister knows what I'm going to propose," Kalousek told CTK in reaction to the argument that Fuksa has insufficiently defended the ODS's position on whether or how the Kalousek-initiated giant tender for the removal of old environmental damages, worth tens of billions of crowns, should continue.
After meeting Necas yesterday, Fuksa told CTK that Necas said they were parting for political reasons.
Necas said Fuksa has disappointed him by failing to defend the ODS's interests in the cabinet.
When the giant environmental tender was discussed, Fuksa moderately supported the tender and ignored the ODS's critical position on it, Necas said.
He also criticised Fuksa's policies concerning forest management and biogas production.
The VV expects Fuksa's successor to take a more objective approach to agriculture and Czech forests, VV spokeswoman Radka Hrstkova said.
She recalled that the VV demanded Fuksa's departure during the coalition crisis this spring already.
Fuksa said he considered his dismissal part of the effort to influence the political atmosphere before the ODS regional congress in central Bohemia.
Commentators say Fuksa is one of the ODS members in central Bohemia close to Necas's opponent Petr Tluchor, former ODS deputy group chairman.
The central Bohemian ODS branch was the only one to have openly opposed the idea of the forthcoming ODS national congress extending the mandates to Necas and party deputy chairpersons for another six months.
"Clearly, my only mistake was that I dared to present my views differing from those held by Necas. They had a minority support in the ODS," Fuksa said.
Senior opposition Social Democrat (CSSD) chairman Bohuslav Sobotka said the cabinet's lineup is now determined by Necas's power interests in the ODS. By replacing Fuksa, Necas wants to gain more influence in the Central Bohemian ODS branch, Sobotka said in a press release, adding that Necas never criticised Fuksa before.
The "unfortunate way" of Necas's personnel policy will further weaken the government's authority and reputation, Sobotka continued.
"Ministers will be viewed as incapable puppets...The government is becoming a group of rival power packs concentrated around Necas, Kalousek and [VV deputy group head] Vit Barta," Sobotka said.
Necas categorically dismissed speculations about a clash between him and the Central Bohemian ODS. "This is not true, I seek cooperation with the Central Bohemian ODS, I have a number of political allies in the branch," he said.
CSSD deputy and Central Bohemia governor David Rath said like Fuksa, the probable new agriculture minister, Petr Bendl, does not have professional qualification for the post either.
The change mainly reflects the internal struggle in the ODS whose Central Bohemian branch is officially headed by Bendl but in fact it is controlled by Tluchor, who is Necas's opponent in the party, Rath said.
The ODS's central Bohemian branch leaders reject Fuksa's dismissal as Necas's gross interference in the regional branch's affairs and his attempt to influence the forthcoming election of the branch's new leadership, Tluchor said yesterday.
He admitted that he failed to contact Bendl, therefore he made the statement on behalf of a majority of the branch's leadership.
Bendl, in an SMS to CTK, said Tluchor's statement presented the latter's personal opinion, not the position of the regional branch.
Political analyst Petr Just, too, said there are political reasons behind Fuksa's dismissal rather than his incompetence as minister.
($1=18.665 crowns)
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Source: http://praguemonitor.com/2011/10/05/finance-minister-ods-rift-behind-agriculture-ministers-departure
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