Melčák ready to return to court with second amendment aimed at allowing early elections

An independent MP who succeeded in having early elections cancelled by the Czech Constitutional Court says he is seriously considering fighting fresh plans for early elections. On Thursday the court upheld Miloš Melčák’s complaint that a one-off amendment allowing for elections on October 8 and 9 was unlawful. A day later, both houses of Parliament passed a permanent change to the constitution, with a view to holding elections at the end of the first week of November. Mr Melčák told reporters that if his lawyers advised him the second amendment could be applied retroactively he would mount a fresh legal challenge. Another independent MP, Juraj Raninec, said he was considering a similar course of action.

Under a plan agreed by the main political parties, the Chamber of Deputies will dissolve itself on Tuesday and the president will call elections on November 6 and 7.

The Czech Republic has had an interim government since May. There are concerns that a failure to form a new political government in the near future would have serious consequences for the country’s budget for next year; if a 2010 budget is not approved in time, a provisional budget without needed spending cuts would enter into force.