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The Social Democrats have launched a campaign that accuses the Civic Democratic Party of having made false promises ahead of last year's general elections. With new billboards and ads, the party says the Civic Democrats - the senior partners in the governing coalition - tricked and deceived citizens. Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek, for example, is accused of only lowering taxes for the wealthy; Labour and Social Affairs Minister Petr Necas is criticised for lowering parental benefits; and Health Minister Tomas Julinek is attacked for making children and pensioners pay for visits to the doctor. The main motto of the Social Democrats' campaign is: "The government is working against you."

Former chairman Milos Zeman has officially notified the Social Democratic Party's office in South Moravia's Nove Veseli that he is leaving the party. According to the head of the local office, Mr Zeman writes that he will under no circumstances join any other party. Mr Zeman decided to quit because he believes that current leader Jiri Paroubek initiated criminal proceedings against him over a case in which a lawyer is suing the party over unpaid fees. Mr Paroubek denies being behind the lawsuit and says Mr Zeman's resignation is a desperate attempt to influence an upcoming party conference at which a new leadership is elected.

Mr Zeman led the Social Democrats for eight years and helped make the party one of the strongest forces in Czech politics. He was prime minister from 1998 to 2002.

Members of the Prague City Hall assembly have voted in favour of bidding to hold the 2016 Olympics in the Czech capital. On Thursday, 50 members supported the proposal, 10 members opposed it and 7 abstained from the vote. In the two-hour heated discussion that preceded the vote Prague Mayor Pavel Bem stressed that a bid will not be placed if further studies find that the Games would leave the city heavily indebted. He added that the assembly's decision is only the second of ten steps that will be taken before the city makes its final decision.

Prague has until September to make its bid and will compete against cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, Dilly, Tokio, and Rio de Janeiro.

A group of opponents to the Temelin nuclear power plant in South Bohemia have announced that they will file a lawsuit against the power giant CEZ on Friday. The group, which has formed an association, says CEZ is violating the law on atomic energy by operating a plant with a technical system that fails to make nuclear safety a priority. The lawsuit will call for Temelin's immediate closure.