Fate of Czech PM, government in hands of Communists

The chairman of the Communist Party Miroslav Grebenicek has said the party's executive committee has recommended to Communist deputies to abstain in Friday morning's no-confidence vote in the government of Prime Minister Stanislav Gross. If all Communist MPs follow the recommendation, the opposition will fall far short of the 101-vote majority needed to topple the government of Prime Minister Stanislav Gross.

Mr Gross lost his parliamentary majority on Wednesday when the Christian Democratic Party dropped its support for his coalition government after the prime minister ignored calls to quit. Mr Gross's coalition government of his Social Democrats and the Freedom Union is now down to 80 seats in the 200-member lower house of parliament. The Communists, who have had a low profile since the end of their rule in 1989, have become the country's powerbrokers as they will decide on Friday if Stanislav Gross's government survives the no-confidence vote.