The Czech government last week withdrew treaties regarding its half of the proposed US anti-missile shield from the process of parliamentary ratification in the face of an opposition threat to vote them down.

The move underscored the parliamentary weakness of the center-right government. It was described as a temporary measure, but could delay ratification of the treaties for months or longer.

“This does not mean we are giving up on the ratification process,” Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek said in a live televised address. “We can return this material to the lower house at any time,” he continued.

The government's hand was forced by the opposition, which capitalized on the fact that a number of governing MPs were absent from the lower house of Parliament last Tuesday. Opposition MPs might have forced a vote on the issue, scuppering the government's plans.

Topolanek also said that his government would revisit to the matter after talks with the US administration and after the NATO summit in France and Germany. The summit is scheduled for April 3-4 and US President Obama is to meet EU leaders in Prague on April 5.

Source: Reuters