#Odtemnění finally passed

The deputies passed the Bill on the Register of Contracts in their own version, as opposed to the Senate draft, by 110 votes shortly before 6.30 PM on Tuesday 24 November. A big #Odtemnění has arrived…

It was not clear till the last moment which version of the bill the members of the Lower House of Parliament would eventually pass—the one many of them had worked on for many months and the House voted in on 18 September, or the rival Senate draft which would have turned the Contract Register on its head.

When the deputies took a 20-minute timeout for in-club consultations, after a heated debate that consumed most of Tuesday’s afternoon, all those who were following the parliamentary proceedings were in a state of animated suspense. When the MPs reconvened shortly after 6.15 PM, the events took a quick turn. The Senate bill earned the support of 27 deputies out of 161 MPs registered for the vote; 92 MPs voted against.

The original Chamber of Deputies version was then upheld by 110 members of the Lower House, and 26 voted against.

We, of course, sincerely welcome the result of the vote, and believe we are not the only ones in it. Thank you all who have supported our #Odtemnění endeavour. A big thank-you of course goes to all the MPs who in the event voted for the disclosure of public contracts on the internet.

We will soon prepare and publish more details about the voting, but now—if you’ll excuse us—now it’s time to celebrate.