Czech president too ill to work, powers to be handed to PM Babi
Politico
PRAGUE Doctors treating Czech President Milo Zeman say he is physically incapable of performing his official duties and unable to name a new prime minister, Senate President Milo Vystrčil told reporters Monday.
As a result, the Senate is working to transfer Zemans constitutional powers to the current prime minister, Andrej Babi, and the speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Radek Vondráček, a member of Babis ANO movement.
The move complicates the expected transfer of power following the recent Czech parliamentary elections on October 8 and 9, which saw the three-party Together coalition defeat ANO. A day after the election, Zeman was taken to hospital and the process of forming a new government has been in limbo since, in large part because neither the hospital nor Zemans staff had provided any information about his condition.
But on Monday, the head of Pragues Central Military Hospital, Miroslav Zavoral, sent a message to Vystrčil detailing Zemans condition.
The presidents ailment was not named, but local media, citing anonymous sources, have reported that he is suffering from hepatic encephalopathy, a disorder of the nervous system caused by chronic liver disease, such as cirrhosis.