Civic Democrats to be given second chance at new government

The Civic Democrats will most probably gain a second chance to form a new government. President Vaclav Klaus will ask the party that won most votes in the municipal and Senate elections to decide who should be entrusted with the task, the president's secretary Ladislav Jakl said on Sunday. The first attempt at forming a new government since the June elections ended in deadlock failed as the minority government of Civic Democrat leader Mirek Topolanek was unable to gain a vote of confidence in Parliament.

In a Czech TV discussion programme with the chairmen of all five parliamentary parties, Mr Topolanek said he favoured a caretaker government that would lead the country into early elections - preferably in May or June. Social Democrat leader Jiri Paroubek opposed the idea of early polls and said a grand coalition between his party and the Civic Democrats is the most stable way out of deadlock.