News

Almost 65 percent of Czechs are opposed to the idea of a United States missile defence base being built in the Czech Republic, suggests an opinion poll commissioned by the Foreign Ministry in December and quoted in Mlada fronta Dnes on Thursday. The US is set to decide in the early part of this year whether to build the site in the Czech Republic or Poland.

Czech goalkeeper Petr Cech could make a return to competitive football as soon as January 20. He has been out of action since sustaining a skull fracture in October. Cech had been expected to return in mid February. But the manager of his club Chelsea, Jose Mourinho, says the Plzen-born star needs to return as soon as possible, after a run of poor results.

Social Democrat chairman Jiri Paroubek is due to meet President Vaclav Klaus on Thursday to inform the president of the latest proposal by his party regarding the solution to the ongoing political crisis. The Social Democrats expect the new cabinet of Prime Minister Topolanek will not receive a vote of confidence from the lower house, therefore the party is offering a coalition agreement to the Civic Democrats and the Christian Democrats for a third attempt to form a government since inconclusive elections in June. If the two parties do not accept the proposal, the Social Democrats say they are ready to form a minority cabinet and seek a vote of confidence.

On Tuesday, the line-up was finalised of the proposed centre-right coalition government involving the Civic Democrats, the Christian Democrats and the Green Party. Cyril Svoboda, former foreign minister, is to become minister without portfolio and chairman of the government's legislative council, while film director Helena Trestikova is to take up the post of culture minister. Nominations to other ministerial posts remain as originally proposed. Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek is now expected to officially present the new government to the president.

Once his government is appointed Mr. Topolanek will have thirty days in which to ask the lower house for a vote of confidence. So far he can rely on the support of the Civic Democrat parliamentary party in the lower chamber. Mr Topolanek said he would try to negotiate support from the opposition Social Democrats - either as a party or if need be from individual members.