Czech Senate impeaches outgoing president with 'high treason'
The Czech Constitutional Court will deal with the high treason impeachment proposed by the Senate as its priority before other cases, said the court's general secretary Ivo Pospisil.
He said the written indictment is to reach the Constitutional Court on Tuesday.
If the court does not turn down the impeachment over procedural and technical reasons, it must call a public hearing before its final decision, Kazinform has learnt from Xinhua.
Under Czech law on the Constitutional Court, high treason means "the president's conduct aimed at the national sovereignty and integrity as well as its democratic order."
This is the first ever complaint about the president in the history of the Czech Republic. The proposal was approved by 38 senators. The Senate election commission has confirmed the results of the vote held after a closed session.
Except the New Year amnesty, the senators also charge Klaus for his failing to sign the addendum to the Lisbon Treaty on the new rescue fund of the eurozone and his delaying on signing an addendum to the European Social Charter.
Besides, they also charge Klaus for not to name any constitutional judges for almost a year. Except for two failed attempts, he did not propose anyone for approval to the Senate, "whereby he seriously threatened the proper working of the Constitutional Court," said the senators.
Klaus announced his New Year amnesty that applies to convicts with low suspended or prison sentences and elderly convicts and the amnesty also halts criminal proceedings if they lasted for more than eight years, and if the maximum prison sentence that can be imposed in such cases does not exceed 10 years.
This amnesty was sharply criticised since the beginning as it applies to some high-profile corruption and financial crime cases.
Klaus's second term as presiddent will end on March 7.
