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Efforts by the ruling coalition to find a candidate for president have run into fresh difficulties, increasingly the likelihood of the current parliamentary system being replaced by a popular vote. The latest setback came on Wednesday, when deputy prime minister Pavel Rychetsky said he would no longer consider standing for the post. Mr Rychetsky said his candidature was conditional on the unanimous support of all three parties in the ruling coalition. A senior cabinet member has said the problem is with Mr Rychetsky's own party, the Social Democrats. He said Mr Rychetsky had failed to gain the support of all the party's 81 MPs and Senators.

The attempt to find a replacement for Mr Havel took a bizarre turn on Wednesday, when the Czech pop singer Karel Gott announced he would stand for president if a direct vote was held. Mr Gott, who first sprung to fame in the 1960s, is known for his sugary ballads and well-publicised love affairs. A group of musicians made the announcement on his behalf at a press conference in Prague. The 63-year-old singer is currently on tour on Germany, where he is massively popular, particularly among older women.

Deputy Prime Minister Pavel Rychetsky has the most support among the Social Democrats, as talks continue to find a joint coalition candidate for president. The party's leader, Prime Minister Vladimir Spidla, said on Tuesday afternoon that all three parties in the governing coalition would discuss the issue soon. The news followed earlier reports that two of three people being considered by the governing parties had announced they would not stand for the post of president. The chairwoman of the Academy of Sciences, Helena Illnerova, was the first to drop out, followed by the president of Charles University, Ivan Wilhelm. The other name under consideration was academic and cancer specialist Pavel Klener.

The Czech Republic is currently without a president, following the departure of Vaclav Havel and two failed attempts by parliament to elect a successor in January. It is expected that a third bicameral vote will be held, though no date has yet been set.

The trial of a former high-ranking Communist functionary accused of treason has been postponed indefinitely. The judge hearing the case at Prague Municipal court ordered the case be sent to a higher court when a lawyer for defendant Karel Hoffman accused her of being biased. Mr Hoffman, who is now 78, is accused of ordering the stopping of radio broadcasts on the night of the Soviet-led invasion in 1968. He has said the case against him is politically-motivated, and that in reality he is being tried for his belief in socialism.