The House has elected a new leadership. Pekarová Adamová became the chairwoman

To eliminate Havlíček for the proposal voted all 104 deputies of the penetrating government coalition Together (ODS, KDU-ČSL, TOP 09) and Pirates with Mayors out of 196 present. The Chamber of Deputies had previously rejected the proposal of the chairwoman of the ANO club, Alena Schillerová, according to which she should have agreed that Havlíček was eligible for the position of chairman and also for the bodies of the lower house. He received the proposal support 93 deputies YES and SPD, one Civic Democrat also voted in favor.

War at the head of the committee

Today, its members unanimously elected former Minister of Justice Helena Válková (YES) as the chairman of the House Mandate and Immunity Committee. Válková also served on the committee, which, among other things, gives the plenary recommendations on requests for extradition for criminal prosecution, even in the last election period. Her current election to its chair was confirmed by the House Plenary during the afternoon continuation of the inaugural meeting.

The House filled the committee members this morning. In addition to Válková, Taťána Malá, Milan Feranec, Ladislav Okleštěk, František Petrtýl (all YES), Marek Benda (ODS) and Radek Rozvoral (SPD) will work in it, as in the previous period. The committee will also include Romana Fischerová (YES), Pavel Kašník, Pavel Staněk (both ODS), Josef Cogan, Eliška Olšáková, Lucie Potůčková (all STAN), Aleš Dufek, Michael Kohajda (both KDU-ČSL) and Pavel Svoboda (TOP 09). Pirates are not the only club represented on the committee.

Congratulations @market_a to elect the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic. I am convinced that he will do his job well and restore the dignity and seriousness of the lower house. pic.twitter.com/ZPDbUu27Ur

— Petr Fiala (@P_Fiala) November 10, 2021

Válková told the deputies that as the chairwoman of the committee, she would follow the reservation of the law and good behavior. She then informed the plenary about the verification of the mandates of the newly elected Members, as carried out by the committee. Four of the 200 deputies, Válková said, have not yet received a certificate of election. Jiří Carbol, Pavla Golasowská and Marie Jílková (all KDU-ČSL), as well as Josef Flek (STAN), apologized for health reasons from the first and today’s second day of the constitutive meeting.

In the last election period, the committee was chaired by Stanislav Grospič (KSČM). After the October elections, the Communists are not represented in the lower house. The House of Mandates and Immunities is the first to establish the Chamber at the inaugural meeting. After today’s formal establishment, it can start operations.

As expected, Prosecutor Jaroslav Šaroch has already sent the new Chamber of Deputies a request for extradition concerning the incumbent Prime Minister and re-elected MP Andrej Babiš (YES) in the Stork’s Nest case. The committee should deal with the request in the coming weeks.

Four-hour debate

The vote on Havlíček was preceded by a more than four-hour debate in which YES representatives praised Havlíček, questioned the constitution’s interpretation that a member of the constitution could not be a member of Parliament’s leadership, and questioned the qualities of Pekarová Adamová. Jana Černochová (ODS) said to the address of the critics of the TOP 09 boss that they “don’t even reach her ankles”. Among other things, it infuriated Jana Pastuchová (YES), who pointed out her practice as a paramedic.

In the discussion, the YES legislators also criticized the procedure of the coalition majority in the distribution of functions in the Chamber of Deputies and questioned the establishment of its parliamentary groups.

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