PRAGUE – The Czech government temporarily withdrew treaties on hosting a US defence radar from a parliamentary ratification process yesterday in the face of an opposition threat to vote them down.
The decision highlighted the centre-right government’s weakness in parliament and may delay the ratification for months or even put it on ice for an unpredictable period.
The Bush administration agreed with the Czech Republic to locate a radar base southwest of Prague as part of a plan to expand its missile defence shield against any attack from countries such as Iran.
The plan also calls for a battery of interceptor missiles to be based in Poland, the Czechs’ bigger neighbour in central Europe.
“This does not mean we are giving up on the ratification process,” Czech prime minister Mirek Topolánek said in a live television address.
“We can return this material to the lower house at any time,” he said. – (Reuters)
