Czech defense minister sacked

PRAGUE - Czech Liberal Democrats chief Karolina Peake was sacked as defense minister on Thursday, just eight days after she was sworn in, but will remain as deputy prime minister in the government.

President Vaclav Klaus removed Peake from her job in the defense ministry after receiving a proposal from Prime Minister Petr Necas, the Presidential Office said. Neither Necas nor Klaus gave the reason behind the decision.

Peake dismissed her first deputy Vlastimil Picek, armament section head Pavel Bulant and her office's director Frantisek Sulc one day after her appointment as defense minister. These steps surprised both Necas and Klaus.

Klaus also had doubts about whether the predominantly male collective of the military would accept the female minister.