Czech President Petr Pavel received Defence Minister Jaromír Zún at Prague Castle on Wednesday. The meeting was held without any comments to the media and one of the main topics was the selection of a new Chief of General Staff of the Czech Army.
Zůna briefed the president on the candidates, which moved the selection to the next stage. The minister had earlier said there were four candidates but did not officially disclose their names. The list was handed over to Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and the candidates were also met by House Speaker Tomio Okamura. Babiš said he did not have a favourite among the candidates yet, and President Pavel made the same comments.
According to the law, the government chooses the candidate and the president then appoints him or her. The current Chief of the General Staff is Karel Rehka, who has headed the army since July 2022. The term of office usually lasts four years.
Although the Defence Ministry has not confirmed the names, Czech Television reports that the candidates include Major General Miroslav Hlaváč, Major General Petr Čepelka, Major General Václav Vlček and Brigadier General Petr Svoboda. These names, however, remain unofficial and are based on behind-the-scenes media information. According to the same source, Hlaváč is among the favourites.
The Defence Minister wants to submit the proposal to the Government in May. The cabinet has to agree on the candidate and then the president will appoint the chief. The selection is thus heading into the final phase, but there is no clarity yet.
The meeting at the Castle also touched on other topics, including the situation at the Central Military Hospital, the preparation of a new concept of army construction and the defence budget.
gnews.cz - GH
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