The initiators of the referendum will file a lawsuit against the administration of Prague 7

Prague - Opponents of the allegedly overpriced town hall building purchase will file a lawsuit against Prague 7 in administrative court on Friday. They aim to compel the declaration of a referendum, which the representatives of the city district rejected at their last meeting. Jan Čižinský (KDU-ČSL) told ČTK on behalf of the initiators. The town hall's leadership stands by its decision.
    More than 4,000 people signed the petition calling for the referendum, alongside representatives from the Letná Sobě association, Praguewatch, the opposition Green Party, TOP 09, and KDU-ČSL. They demand the announcement of an architectural competition for a new town hall. They also want the cost of the purchase to be limited to 500 million crowns. However, the councilors rejected the referendum with votes from the coalition. They justified their decision with expert opinions, which stated that the questions in the referendum were not properly formulated. "We acted so as not to violate the law," said city district spokesman Martin Vokuš to ČTK.
    However, according to the petition organizers, the councilors made their decision unlawfully, based on "biased" opinions. The city district allegedly erred by fining several petition signatories. Therefore, the preparatory committee for the referendum is calling for Mayor Marek Ječmének (ODS) to resign. "It is not possible for someone who ignores the will of ten percent of their citizens to be mayor," justified Čižinský.
    Prague 7 has been discussing the acquisition of a new town hall for several months. The lease for the current building on Captain Jaroš Embankment ends in 2015. However, the procurement procedure has raised doubts from the start. It was also examined by the Office for the Protection of Competition (ÚOHS).