Romanies to demand Czech deputy PM Cunek's resignation

Romanies plan to demand the resignation of Czech deputy PM and Local Development Minister Jiri Cunek (Christian Democrats, KDU-CSL, chairman) at a demonstration outside the Government Office to be held from 11:00 to 14:00 on Wednesday, April 11, members of the Romea association told CTK today.

The protest meeting is organised by the Association of Romanies in North Moravia. Other Romany organisations will join in, too.

Last week, Cunek raised uproar among Romanies by his controversial statements in the tabloid Blesk. In reaction to a question whether other people would receive state subsidies similar to those given to Romanies he said that "for this they would have to get sunburnt [alluding to Romanies’ skin colour], make a mess with their family, put up fires on town squares and only then some politicians would say they are really miserable people."

Representatives of 16 Romany organisations called Cunek’s words "the beginning of clerical fascism in the Czech Republic."

The senior government Civic Democrats (ODS) distanced themselves from Cunek’s statements which they consider xenophobic. The junior ruling Greens want Cunek to leave the cabinet. Cunek’s statements on Romanies have also been condemned by President Vaclav Klaus.

Romany demonstrators plan to hand over a joint petition to PM Mirek Topolanek (ODS) and Minister Dzamila Stehlikova (Greens) who is in charge of the minorities agenda in which they call for Cunek’s departure from the government.

Romany activists have also sought support for their demand abroad.

Hundreds of representatives of Romany organisations, international institutions and personalities from several countries have signed their petition. Among the signatories is also Slovak government commissioner for Romany community issues Klara Orgovanova, the petition authors said.

Cunek has been already called on to resign over the accusation of having taken a half-million-crowns bribe in 2002 when he was mayor of Vsetin, north Moravia. However, he pleads innocent and he has refused to step down from the government posts and the KDU-CSL helm. The Christian Democrats have so far backed him up.

Cunek drew the public and media attention before the local elections last year, when he as mayor of Vsetin relocated local Romany rent-defaulters from a dilapidated house in the Vsetin centre to a new house made of tin container-like flats on the town’s outskirts, while further Romany families were sent away from Vsetin and resettled elsewhere in Moravia.

Cunek was criticised by human rights activists for this step, but according to polls, his popularity among voters increased. Now his popularity is declining.

A month ago, Cunek announced he is preparing his own programme of Romany integration, but he refused to release more details about the team working on the plan.

Romany activists say that Cunek thereby only tries to divert attention from his accusation of corruption.