Opposition in Prague 10 is seeking a referendum regarding the construction of the town hall

Prague - The opposition in Prague 10 is striving for a referendum regarding the construction of a new town hall building costing hundreds of millions of crowns. The opposition, which disagrees with the construction of a new building, has today begun collecting signatures to enforce the referendum. This was stated to ČTK by representatives of TOP 09, the new political group Vlasta, and the citizens' initiative Together for the Tenth. Prague 10 rejects criticism regarding the town hall and links it to the approaching municipal elections.
    Prague 10 wants to build a new building due to the poor condition of the current premises. Some time ago, the town hall announced a bid for 775 million, seeking land on which the building could stand. The winner is also expected to prepare a study for the new headquarters of the local government and to construct it. A hot candidate is a plot in Hagibor, which was offered to the municipality some time ago.
    The opposition has long criticized the project, claiming it is overpriced. "We have repeatedly pointed out the problems surrounding the project, unfortunately without success. A referendum is therefore a way for the citizens of Prague 10 to clearly express that they do not agree with the unnecessary and expensive town hall construction," stated opposition councilor Radek Lojda (TOP 09) to ČTK.
    "I find the renovation of the existing office building more advantageous. We truly do not need an investment of a billion; we must start acting responsibly towards the budget of the local government," noted Ivana Mádrová from the civic association Cozy Strašnice.
    According to the mayor of the tenth city district, Bohumil Zoufalík (Independent), the search for a new headquarters has been ongoing for four years and is based on valid resolutions of the council. "Everyone who is criticizing the search for a new town hall now was part of this process, actively participated, and now has apparently begun to suffer from sudden memory loss," he remarked. "Municipal elections are approaching, and it can be expected that opposition parties and various associations will try to gain visibility at any cost," he added, stating that the effort for a referendum is an electoral fight.
    For the municipality to actually call a referendum, more than eight thousand signatures must be collected on the petition, according to Lojda. The initiators aim to gather a sufficient number of signatures by mid-summer.
    Residents will be asked to express their opinions in the referendum on four questions: whether they agree to limit total costs to 500 million crowns; whether they want the current selection process to be completely canceled; whether they want the criteria for selecting the town hall to be economic efficiency and transport accessibility; and whether a public architectural competition should be announced for the construction. "Through the plebiscite, we want to open the eyes of the citizens. I believe we will succeed," stated Renata Chmelová from the Vlasta coalition.
    Other city districts have previously called or sought referendums. Due to the town hall construction, there was one in Prague 7, where residents rejected the then-management plans of the local government. Another plebiscite recently took place in Prague 8 regarding the stance on gambling. People rejected gambling halls, but not enough showed up for the voting to be binding. Similarly, citizens are to express their opinions on gambling in Prague 7, with the referendum taking place concurrently with the elections to the European Parliament.