PRAGUE (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 07th December, 2021) Czech President Milos Zeman recommended that Jan Lipavsk, a candidate for the position of foreign minister in the new cabinet, withdraw his candidacy during their meeting on Tuesday, Czech radio station Frekvence 1 reported, citing sources.
On November 28, Zeman endorsed as new prime minister Petr Fiala, leader of the Together coalition, which won the October parliamentary elections. Zeman told Fiala that he would personally meet with each cabinet candidate as he had reservations about one. Czech media speculated that he meant Lipavsky.
In his former capacity as deputy chair of the defense committee in parliament, Lipavsky advocated estrangement from Russia and China, particularly with regard to their participation in the construction of a new Dukovany nuclear power plant unit. The 36 year old refrained from explicitly telling journalists if he and Zeman discussed his candidacy during their meeting, saying that this was an issue that should be discussed between the president and the prime minister.
Fiala earlier stressed that the president does not have the mandate to approve or disprove cabinet candidates, per the country's constitution. He did not rule out seeking court intervention if Zeman bars any of his candidates.
