The Czech Peace Forum and the Czech Iraqi Association are behind the conference, which had been set for Dec. 9—10 in the Chamber of Deputies, Parliament's lower house, with permission of Chamber Deputy Head Lubomí­r Zaorálek (ČSSD).

The event was to feature about 80 guests and include a delegation of 17 Iraqis, mostly artists, writers and members of the intelligentsia, said Vladimí­ra Levá of the Peace Forum.

The topic of the conference was to be the war in Iraq.

Soon after the conference was announced, Czech media reported that the Iraqi delegation included several exile groups that are critical of the war and had been supporters of the former regime.

Fueling further concern, the Czech Iraqi Association declined to provide delegation members' names to the Foreign Affairs Ministry. The controversial satellite news channel Al-Jazeera planned to cover the event.

"We considered it inappropriate that the conference should take place on the premises of the Chamber of Deputies," ministry spokesman Zuzana Opletalová said Dec. 4.

The ODS blasted the ČSSD for proposing the conference be held in Parliament, saying it could appear that the government was giving special weight to an event that had the potential to be critical of the war. The ODS demanded a change of venue.

"Our greatest reservation against the organization of the conference in the Chamber was that the venue could create the impression of an official stance of the Czech Republic," said Petr Tluchoř, an ODS deputy.

Zaorálek came under heavy criticism. In a press conference Dec. 4, he announced that the event had been postponed and would not be held in the Chamber.

At press time, there was no new date or location for the event, but organizers stressed it had not been canceled. The Iraqi delegation would not travel until a new event was set, Levá said.

Faisal Ismail, head of the Czech Iraqi Association, declined to comment on the controversy.