MEPs will discuss two anti-anti-crime models
Updates: 01/23/2022 09:30
Released: 23.01.2022, 09:30
Prague – Deputies should have a report next week to expeditiously approve the government’s amendment to the pandemic law and the possibility of sending extraordinary director’s leave or distance learning due to Covid-19. After a postponement, they could begin a discussion on the introduction of a correspondence election of deputies and the President of the Czech Republic abroad and elect the remaining, sixth vice-president of the lower house. Favored YES candidate Karel Havlíček is unlikely to win them now. The January meeting of the Chamber of Deputies continues from Tuesday afternoon, ending on Friday.
The introduction of correspondence elections from abroad is one of the goals of the governing coalition, but the opposition SPD is particularly opposed. He also expects the SPD deputies to reject the amendment to the pandemic law, which, among other things, removes the current time limits on the effectiveness of its key parts on issuing anti-coronavirus measures by the end of February. On the contrary, the opposition YES could support it when it was created under the former Minister of Health Adam Vojtěch (for YES).
The draft envisages that restrictions will be able to cover a wider range of activities than now, and the authorities will be able to order testing of, for example, entrepreneurs, students, pupils and preschoolers, not just employees and other staff. By law, public health authorities will be able to notify people of isolation or quarantine orally or in writing, for example by a short text message.
In the case of a large number of quarantined teachers, the proposed government law will give school principals the power to declare special director’s leave or distance learning for up to ten days. Parents will be entitled to nursing allowance at this time. At present, directors can decide on up to five days a year. They could declare special leave if the school is temporarily unable to provide distance learning due to the spread of the disease.
SPD Chairman Tomio Okamura is running against former Deputy Prime Minister Havlíček in the election of the Deputy Chairman. Havlíček could have been basically sure last week. However, the current government coalition of ODS, STAN, KDU-KDU, TOP 09 and Pirates was then disappointed by the procedure of YES deputies in discussing the proposal for a one-year postponement of the mostly controversial new building law. Due to the current dominance, the opposition pushed for an interruption of the debate on the coalition amendment by March.
Some government deputies also thought that the position of the sixth deputy speaker of the Chamber of Deputies could be abolished. However, according to ČTK’s corridor information, no one will make such a proposal in the end. The election is to take place, but the coalition will not give Havlíček the necessary votes in either of the two rounds. At the inaugural November meeting, the Chamber of Deputies already held five vice-presidential positions. The sixth remains vacant when former lower house chairman Radek Vondráček (YES) and Okamura failed in previous elections.
MEPs could decide next week to change the composition of some committees. Former YES ministers should head to them in exchange for members of the movement. The Chamber of Deputies could also change the board of directors of the General Health Insurance Company, as is the case at the beginning of each term.