Today, Monday, Milos Westersel, President of the Czech Senate in Prague, announced that Czech President Milos Zeman is currently unable to perform the duties of his position at the Central Military Hospital in Prague, after he asked the hospital to give an official opinion on the health of Milos Zeman.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives added that the outlook for the health of the head of state is very uncertain, and it is unlikely that Zeman will return to office in the coming weeks. The hospital confirmed on its official website that it had responded to the request of the Senate President.
Milos Westersel sought the hospital’s opinion on the president’s health after the presidential office had not provided satisfactory information on Milos Zeman’s tenure for more than a week. Zimant was hospitalized eight days ago, where he is being treated in the intensive care unit. His diagnosis has not yet been revealed.
Hospital director Miroslav Zavoral, who is also the president’s treating physician, declined to disclose specific information, citing existing laws. Westersel had previously requested information from the president’s office, but Vratislav Minar, head of the Chancellery, did not respond to his letter.
Westersel said the Senate Presidency will meet with leaders of parliamentary parties on Tuesday to discuss possibilities for delegation of powers to heads of state.
Before his press conference, Vratislav Minar Westersel also told reporters in Hraden that the senators are playing a hypocritical game and their goal is to remove Zeman from the position of head of state. Minar could not be asked after his brief statement. Westersel said that Minar was officially informed of Zeeman’s health condition on October 13.
Prime Minister Andrej Babis, who was a guest on Public Service News Radio at the time of Westersel’s press conference, called the announcement surprising.
“It is surprising information of course, and it is certainly not good news. The question is is it a permanent condition or is there hope for improvement. Responding to Prime Minister Westersel’s announcement. Babis said the Senate should now step in mainly because Radek Vondrasek, President’s term in office The current House of Representatives expires on Thursday and the newly elected deputies will not meet until November 8. Asked whether presidential powers would be transferred in the current situation, the prime minister replied, “I can’t say yet what will happen.”
At the same time, Andrei Babis announced that he was ready to negotiate with other “constitutional leaders” and representatives of the emerging new ruling coalition to resolve the situation. Under the current constitution, if the head of state is obstructed, a large part of his powers will be taken over by the head of government, and the rest by the heads of parliament.
Milos Zeman, 77, who will have a constitutional duty to give a suitable politician the mandate to form a government based on the October 8-9 election results, will be cared for in the intensive care unit of the Central Military Hospital from October 10. However, his diagnosis has not been announced.
At least 30 days after the election, the president must give someone the mandate to form a government if no one has objected to the result by then.
The office of the head of state has come under increasing criticism in recent days for failing to adequately inform Milos Zeman about his health.
At the same time, there is growing concern in leading political circles that the current situation could cripple the functioning of constitutional institutions. So Zdenek Harappa, chair of the Senate Constitutional Committee, called a board meeting for October 19.
I have convened the Senate Committee on Constitutional Affairs to discuss options, including Article 66 of the Constitution. “It deals with how the president is declared incapable of performing his duties,” Zdenek Hraba explained. (MTI)
