Czech lawmakers have suspended debate on making their nation home to a U.S. missile defense radar until President-elect Barack Obama takes office in January, RIA Novosti reported yesterday (see GSN, Nov. 17).
The lower house of parliament does not intend to consider the Bush administration proposal "until after a new U.S. presidential administration is appointed" on Jan. 20, House of Deputies Speaker Miloslav Vlcek said during a meeting with Russian lawmaker Boris Gryzlov.
The Czech government has signed off on two treaties paving the way for the radar base. Parliamentary debate on the pacts began late last month.
The radar might be approved "by a margin of one or two votes, if at all," Vlcek said. He noted that "two-thirds of the country's citizens object to the placement of a U.S. radar station on its soil."
The United States also plans to deploy 10 missile interceptors in Poland, where lawmakers this month received an agreement for ratification.
Obama has said that the technology must be proven to work if it is to be deployed under his administration (RIA Novosti, Nov. 18).