Czech coalition government led by Prime Minister Petr NeÄas survived another no-confidence vote Thursday. This was the fifth attempt to topple the center-right government over the last two and a half years. Parliament needed 101 votes to bring down NeÄasā cabinet, however only 92 deputies voted for no-confidence.
The latest no-confidence vote was spurred by President VĆ”clav Klausā recent amnesty declaration, which halts criminal proceedings that have lasted for more that eight years or cases where the sentence is less than 10 years. The amnesty affects more than 7,000 prisoners, including those involved in a number of big corruption and business fraud cases. The amnesty, which was signed by NeÄas, has been heavily criticized by the public and lawmakers alike.
