PRAGUE, May 17 (Xinhua) -- Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka accepted Wednesday the nomination of Ivan Pilny to replace Andrej Babis as finance minister.

Sobotka said he expected President Milos Zeman to dismiss Babis shortly after his return on Wednesday from a six-day visit to China.

Babis rejected the reasons for his dismissal and criticised Sobotka for talking about a suspected tax evasion in connection with him, terming his dismissal as "unjust".

The prime minister said Babis's dismissal from government and the appointment of a new finance minister would end the dispute and tension in the coalition caused by Babis' refusal to shoulder his political responsibility.

Babis is expected to leave the post by the end of May.

Pilny, 72, is a member of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic. Babis put forward Pilny's name to Sobotka as successor of the Czech finance ministerial post on Wednesday.