Czech leader plans referendum in June 2006
Czech Prime Minister Stanislav Gross has said he favours staging a referendum at the same time as the general election, due to take place in June 2006. But he added that the public had to be well-informed about the content of the constitution first.
The main opposition party, the Civic Democrats, favour staging a referendum earlier.
Although Czech political leaders have not yet decided on staging a referendum to approve the constitutional treaty it is expected that one will be held.
This comes at the same time when former Czech president Vaclav Havel has said that he believed a referendum on the European constitutional treaty should not be held in the country.
He said that the constitution was a complex text which did not change the European Union much.
Czechs said their fundamental "yes" in the referendum on EU membership in June 2003 and a referendum on the constitution would be redundant, Havel said.
It was not clear what exactly people would be voting on if a referendum was held, he added.
Havel said that small states have a major influence on the EU's decision-making process but if they rejected the constitution, they would strip themselves of such opportunities.
Source: EU Observer
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