Lower house to debate draft civil service law next week

The newly-elected lower house is to meet on Tuesday, January 21st to debate a draft civil service law which is crucial to the establishment of a new government. The proposed legislation should stipulate new conditions for civil service employees, replacing the screening law which came into force after the fall of communism. Two ministerial nominees have not produced clean screening certificates and the president would not be able to appoint them to their posts without a change of legislation in the pipeline. Lawmakers approved a civil service law back in 2002 but it has never come into force, having been put on hold five times. The bill is likewise essential to the drawing of EU funds and the country has been under growing pressure from Brussels to speed up its approval.