Lower house to meet on Wednesday for government's policy programme

The new cabinet is expected to present its policy programme to the lower house next Wednesday. On the same day the speaker of the lower house Miloslav Vlcek will resign from his post. Before his election to the post of speaker Mr. Vlcek pledged to fill the post on a temporary basis. That was because it is the speaker of the lower house who would have the task of selecting a prime minister designate for the third attempt should the centre right government fail to win its confidence vote next Friday. As a Social Democrat, Mr Vlcek's choice would be open to allegations of a party bias. The parliamentary parties will now need to reach some kind of consensus on who should succeed Mr. Vlcek.