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1st LD: Czech PM Sobotka announces resignation

Xinhua, May 2, 2017 Adjust font size:

Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka announced at a press conference on Tuesday that he would submit his cabinet's resignation to President Milos Zeman within the week over controversial business activities of Finance Minister Andrej Babis.

Sobotka said it is unacceptable to keep Babis at the ministerial post, as he's in a position involving interest conflict.

He explained that Babis as the finance minister controls the Financial Administration (FS), a body that is supposed to investigate his controversial purchase of untaxed one-crown bonds from the Agrofert company in 2013 when he owned it.

The prime minister said he hopes his resignation could enable an impartial investigation.

He explained that he wants to free the government coalition parties' hands to discuss ways to solve the situation. If the government coalition parties agreed on the continuation of their joint coalition, it would be necessary to discuss the post of the finance minister.

Sobotka said he wants to explain his step to his coalition partners at the cabinet meeting on Wednesday. Enditem