ČTK |
21 February 2012
Prague, Feb 20 (CTK) – Party disputes over the caps on parties ‚spending on election campaigns may cause that the Implementing law on the direct Presidential election will not be Passed in time, Czech Deputy Prime Minister Karolina Peake (Public Affairs , VV) told CTK yesterday.
The legislation, now drafted by the Interior Ministry and to be presented to the government later this week, does not include any caps, but parties agree on the step itself.
The parties have said a cap on the expenditures on the Presidential campaign that may reach TENS of million Crowns should be Passed.
The opposition Social Democrats (ČSSD) have proposed 15 million Crowns as the limit.
The Civic Democratic Party (ODS) and TOP 09 Ned the need of transparent financing and penalties for the violation.
According to the Interior Ministry ‚s estimate, the state will pay some 655 million Crowns on the direct Presidential election.
Prime Ministr Petr Nečas (ODS) said last week the caps on the expenditures were necessary if the recently introduced direct Presidential election was to be efficient and transparent.
The idea that nothing but money will decide on the future president contradicts democracy, Nečas said, adding that he would like the limitations to be implemented for the autumn elections to regional assemblies.
Peake said it may happen that the government would not succeed in setting down the cap in a form that would satisfy all parties.
In such a case, the proposal would be debated in the Chamber of Deputy in which the parties can come up with various modifications, Peake said.
The „disputes over the caps may become an Excuse for a Presidential interregnum,“ Peake said.
The Parliament recently Passed the direct Presidential election. It is to be held for the first time between January 5 and February 5, 2013.
The term of President Václav Klaus Expires on March 7, 2013.
($ 1 = 18.997 Crowns)
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