Village holds referendum on issue of radar base

The village of Trokavec, near the Brdy military base in central Bohemia, has held a local referendum on the issue of a possible US radar base. That could be built in the region as part of the United States' planned missile defence shield in Europe. The US has formally requested both Poland and the Czech Republic to host missile and radar bases on their territory, but public opposition remains high. In the referendum in Trokavec - a village of one hundred inhabitants - 71 people voted "against" the base while 1 person voted "for". The result is only of symbolic value. The Czech government has made clear it will seek parliamentary approval for the US request rather than hold a national referendum.

Author: Jan Velinger