Former govt party to be dissolved

The extra-parliamentary party the Civic Democratic Alliance, influential in government in the years 1992-1998, will be dissolved as of December 31st - a move decided at the party’s national conference. The news was announced by party leader Jirina Novakova on Sunday. The Civic Democratic Alliance, a right-of-centre party established after the fall of communism, was part of coalition governments led by former-prime minister Vaclav Klaus, as well as part of a caretaker government led by Josef Tosovsky. Since elections in 1998, the party’s fortunes have been in decline.

A number of significant political figures left the party in the past years, among them current Defence Minister Vlasta Parkanova and Justice Minister Jiri Pospisil.