The upper house of the Czech Parliament has voted to impeach outgoing President Vaclav Klaus for treason.
The March 4 vote by the Czech Senate, which is dominated by left-wing political opponents of Klaus, calls on the Constitutional Court to rule on whether Klaus violated the constitution by granting a wide-ranging amnesty in January.
Also being questioned by the lawmakers is the president’s failure to sign certain accords into law and his failure to appoint new judges.
The impeachment motion was supported by 38 of the country’s 81 senators, while 30 opposed the move.
The vote -- seen as largely symbolic -- came three days before Klaus’s presidential term is due to end on March 7.
If Klaus is successfully prosecuted, he could be banned from running for public office and face financial penalties.
The March 4 vote by the Czech Senate, which is dominated by left-wing political opponents of Klaus, calls on the Constitutional Court to rule on whether Klaus violated the constitution by granting a wide-ranging amnesty in January.
Also being questioned by the lawmakers is the president’s failure to sign certain accords into law and his failure to appoint new judges.
The impeachment motion was supported by 38 of the country’s 81 senators, while 30 opposed the move.
The vote -- seen as largely symbolic -- came three days before Klaus’s presidential term is due to end on March 7.
If Klaus is successfully prosecuted, he could be banned from running for public office and face financial penalties.