Government talks divide Civic Democratic Party

The Civic Democratic Party is divided over the proposed government. In recent days the prime minister has come under fire from his own party members for allegedly making too many concessions to the Christian Democrats and the Greens. On Saturday the prime minister slammed one of his leading critics - the party's deputy chairman and mayor of Prague Pavel Bem, saying that his stand stemmed from economic rather than political interests. In Saturday's edition of the Czech daily Lidove Noviny, Mr. Topolanek suggested that Mr. Bem's past cooperation with the Social Democrats in the City Hall involved some dubious agreements and that he was now pushing for a similar model on the national level. The remarks have provoked outrage at Prague City Hall and Mr. Bem has demanded a public apology.

The Civic Democratic Party's deputies group is to meet on Wednesday to discuss the conditions of the government deal. The party's leadership will be asked to explain why it failed to lay claim to key cabinet posts such as the finance and foreign ministries.