Wednesday News Briefing

Around 100 people attended a rally today against the Communist Party's participation in regional governments as part of a series of protests staged by the "Without Communists" movement. The protests started in Olomouc, north Moravia, on January 14 and will continue in Karlovy Vary, west Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, south Bohemia, and Zlin, south Moravia, and they will culminate on Wenceslas Square in Prague's center Jan. 19. The rallies are symbolically held at the time of the Palach Week, commemorating the 44th anniversary of student Jan Palach's self-immolation to protest against the 1968 Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia.  

Public television and radio as well as the commercial Nova and Prima Family TV stations will broadcast the debate of the two presidential candidates, Milos Zeman and Karel Schwarzenberg, before the second round of the direct election on January 25-26. Former socialist PM Zeman and Foreign Affairs Minister Schwarzenberg gained 24.21 and 23.40 percent of the vote in the first round, respectively. Czech Television (CT) will stage two debates Jan. 17 and Jan. 24.  

The Municipal Court in Prague has stopped the criminal prosecution of three defendants over tax evasion in connection with the import of fuel from Slovakia in which the state lost billions of crowns under President Vaclav Klaus's amnesty.The decision involved Martin Pechan, former executive of the Tukovy prumysl company, Milan Vomela, former member of the Bena company's board, and Leopold Klimus, Venturon Investment executive. According to the state attorney, who intends to file an appeal the decision, the group committed extensive tax fraud and evaded customs by smuggling Slovak fuel into the Czech Republic using the pipeline network of the state fuel supplier Cepro.   

A group of Roma students and activists is urging the government to preserve its Human Rights Office and not to pass on its agenda to various ministries. In an open letter, the students write that the step would threaten the protection of vulnerable groups: children, seniors, the disabled and minorities.The Cabinet is due to discuss the closure of various government offices as part of ongoing austerity cuts. 

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