Czech Chamber of Deputies postpones confidence vote on PM Babis's minority gov't

PRAGUE, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Czech Chamber of Deputies decided at a Wednesday meeting to postpone the confidence vote for Prime Minister-designate and ANO chairman Andrej Babis's minority government to Jan. 16, next Tuesday.

The Chamber of Deputies made the decision based on the proposal of Civic Democratic Party (ODS) party.

The chairman of the ODS deputy group, Zbynek Stanjura, argued that the one-hour pause in the session was not sufficient for the mandate and immunity committee to hold an extraordinary meeting on the EU subsidy fraud case of Capi hnizdo in which Prime Minister Andrej Babis is implicated.

The mandate and immunity committee will have another meeting on next Tuesday morning. Babis and ANO first deputy head Jaroslav Faltynek, who is also implicated in the case, are to express their position on the case. In the afternoon, the Chamber of Deputies will meet at 14:00 local time to continue its session.

Czech President Milos Zeman attended the session of Chamber of Deputies on Wednesday to support Babis's minority government. He said he will give Babis enough time to secure support for his second government if the first one does not win confidence vote in the Chamber of Deputies.

He said he would appoint Babis with forming a government for the second time, but he will demand signatures of at least an absolute majority of MPs, 101 of the 200-seat lower house, in support of Andrej Babis's government before appointing him as prime minister-designate again.

Before appointing Babis's current minority government, Zeman did not demand signatures of 101 MPs from Babis. Enditem