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President Vaclav Klaus accepted the resignation of Stanislav Gross as Prime Minister on Monday, ending weeks of political crisis. The Cabinet was also dissolved, as is required by the Constitution, when a prime minister resigns. Before tendering his official resignation, Mr Gross' party, the Social Democrats, and their coalition partners, the Christian Democrats and the Freedom Union, signed a deal for a new government. The incoming prime minister is Jiri Paroubek, a vice chairman of the Social Democratic party who was the Regional Development Minister in the previous government.

Stanislav Gross, a former interior minister, had led the government since last July; he remains Social Democrat party chairman. Calls for Mr Gross' resignation came after media coverage revealed that he had spent more to buy his Prague apartment than he could have afforded on a government salary. Mr Gross had offered several, contradictory explanations of how he had paid for the apartment. The controversial business dealings of his wife had also become a political issue.

Outgoing Prime Minister Stanislav Gross has said he will set all personal ambitions aside in order to help the Social Democratic Party prepare for national elections next year. On Sunday Mr Gross suggested the Social Democrats needed to come up with an attractive, perhaps new, list of candidates. The outgoing prime minister made the comments on a popular news talk show. During the broadcast Mr Gross rejected any suggestion he might step down as chairman of the Social Democrats, saying that he wanted his party to unite. In his words holding an extraordinary party congress now would be political "suicide".

Sunday saw the continuation of a two-day conference in Prague attended by communist representatives from 32 countries, including China. The conference, attended by Czech Communist Party leader Miroslav Grebenicek, has drawn criticism from several groups, including the Confederation for Political Prisoners. A handful of protestors also demonstrated outside the conference venue at the weekend.

In the Czech Republic the Communists have been largely frozen out of top political decision-making since 1989, although they finished third in the country's last elections.

Melting snow has led to a body being uncovered in North Bohemia's Krkonose Mountains. Police at the scene, some 12 kilometres from the ski resort of Spinleruv Mlyn, have not ruled out foul play. They say the person found was likely to have died before first snowfall last year. Dressed for autumn weather, the body has apparently lain there several months.