Kavan: five Social Democrat MPs remain undecided over government

Social Democrat MP Jan Kavan has told Czech Radio he knows of "around" five Social Democrat members of parliament who may choose not to support the new government led by Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek. The government must face a confidence vote within 30 days. Mr Kavan told Czech Radio that he and colleague Vladimir Lastuvka would vote in favour of the new government if the Social Democrats were allowed a greater hand in foreign policy. But currently the Foreign Ministry falls under the jurisdiction of the Christian Democrats. The new prime minister, aware of Mr Kavan's and the other MPs' reservations, reminded them that if the current government fell it would lead only to early elections.