The MKD said in a press release that the debate on the bill has been blocked in the lower house.
The best way for the government to solve the deadlock would be to link the bill with a confidence vote in the government, the MKD said. The MKD is an extra-parliamentary group close to the KDU-CSL, a junior governing party. "The MKD considers the bill on the property settlement with churches and religious groups another in the series of the reform bills initiated by the government coalition. Its passing is a priority of not only the Christian Democrat politicians but it is in the interest of the whole society," the MKD said. Apart from appealing on the KDU-CSL leaders and deputies, the MKD also wants to turn to the "rebels" among the deputies for the senior ruling Civic Democratic Party (ODS) who are critical of the bill and who, along with the left-wing opposition, had the bill removed from the lower house session's agenda last week. As a result, the house can start the first reading of the bill in June at the earliest. 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. The KDU-CSL has not linked the bill's fate with the government's survival so far. Lower house deputy head Jan Kasal (KDU-CSL) last week said the postponement of the debate on the bill is a serious problem. He indicated that he would not support the health care reform, promoted by the ODS, unless the ODS supports the church "restitution" bill. The government has 100 seats in the 200-seat Chamber of Deputies. ($1=16.267 crowns)
(Ceske Noviny)
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