Lawmakers OK landmark religious compensation law

The Associated Press
Published: Friday, Jul. 13, 2012 - 4:54 pm

PRAGUE -- The lower house of Parliament has approved a government plan to pay billions of dollars in compensation for property seized by the former totalitarian Communist regime.

Under the plan approved in a 93-89 vote, the country's 17 churches, including Roman Catholic and Protestant, would get 56 percent of their former property now held by the state - estimated at 75 billion koruna ($3.6 billion).

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The parliamentary restitution battle is still set to continue after Friday's late vote.

Parliament's upper house controlled by the left-wing opposition, which strictly opposes the plan, is expected to veto it but the right-wing coalition has enough votes in the lower house to override it.

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/07/13/4630031/lawmakers-ok-landmark-religious.html