Voting on the construction of the hospital in Zlín was, according to Čunek, in order

Zlín - The Governor of the Zlín Region Jiří Čunek (KDU-ČSL) insists that the December vote of the council regarding the construction of a new regional hospital was in order. This follows from an open letter to the Minister of the Interior Jan Hamáček (ČSSD), which the governor's office sent to the media today. In early February, the Ministry of the Interior called on the Zlín Region to reconsider the matter due to a possible violation of the law on regions.

According to Čunek, the ministry's call suggests that Hamáček only wants to help his party colleagues in their opposition fight before the regional elections. He also pointed out that the ministry's statement is based on the same finding of the Constitutional Court as the Zlín Region. "It clearly states that the additional inclusion of an item on the agenda of the council meeting is in accordance with the law, and that there can be no distinction between significant and less significant items," Čunek said.

He described the matter as political games that are costing the Zlín Region enormous resources and delays. According to him, the financial losses incurred will be claimed by the governor's office from the Ministry of the Interior.

Čunek further stated that in the previous electoral term from 2012 to 2016, when Stanislav Mišák (ČSSD) was the governor of Zlín, 213 out of 825 items discussed at the regional council were added to the meeting agenda belatedly. According to him, during Čunek's approximately three years in office, it was 26 out of 787 discussed items. "I firmly believe that after examining all the mentioned contexts, the Ministry of the Interior will reach a clear conclusion that the resolution on the construction of the new hospital by the Zlín Region was in accordance with the laws," Čunek wrote.

The representatives unexpectedly approved the construction of the hospital at Čunek's proposal last December. However, the Ministry of the Interior's statement suggests that the December vote without prior publication could lead to a violation of the law on regions. Citizens of the region were unable to express their opinions on the proposal at the meeting, and according to the ministry, the obligation of the region to manage its assets transparently may have been violated. The council should have decided on the construction of the hospital only after a discussion, or confirmed that it stands by the adopted resolutions. If the representatives do not comply with the ministry's call, it may result in the suspension of the adopted resolution's execution and a possible proposal for its annulment by an administrative court.

The plan is dividing the regional coalition of the Christian Democrats, ANO, STAN, and ODS. Čunek unexpectedly included the vote on the construction of the hospital in the council's agenda shortly before its conclusion in December. Thanks to some opposition representatives, the proposal then gained enough votes, 23 out of 38 present. The governor previously stated that the hospital should cost around eight billion crowns.