Czech lower house approves bill limiting presidential powers

The Czech Chamber of Deputies has approved legislation stripping the President Petr Pavel of the authority to appoint and dismiss the heads of the country's permanent missions to international organisations.

The proposal was introduced by Libor Vondráček, a lawmaker from the Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) party, who argued that Petr Pavel has interpreted his constitutional powers too broadly and noted that the Czech Republic is a parliamentary, not a presidential, republic, Caliber.Az reports, citing Czech media.

The legislation must still be approved by the Senate before it can take effect.

Under the proposed changes, the authority to appoint and dismiss the heads of the Czech Republic's permanent missions to international organisations would be transferred to the foreign minister, while the president would retain the power to appoint and recall Czech ambassadors to foreign countries.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov