The lower house will continue debate on a bill that would make it
legally easier to hold early elections in the Czech Republic. The draft
amendment was passed in a first reading on Friday. If eventually passed
into law, the bill will allow Czech lawmakers - and ultimately the
president - the option of dissolving parliament following a
government's resignation, in order to pave the way for early elections.
Any such move, however, would require sufficient political will. As
proposed now, the legislation would give the president the right to
dissolve the lower house only if the move were approved by a majority
of the country's two hundred MPs. Deputies, though, are aiming to make
the conditions more strict so that the decision would require a
constitutional majority, that is three-fifths of deputies in favour.
Deputies are also expected to debate a provision lowering the number of
MPs in the lower house from 200 to 199, a measure intended to prevent
deadlock in the chamber.