News

Mr Pilip, the interim head of the Freedom Union, told journalists that despite the resignation of its chairwoman, the Freedom Union wants to successfully complete talks on a coalition government with the Social Democrats and the Christian Democrats. Ivan Pilip said he would not seek any ministerial post in the future government and would not even run for the post of party chairman. On Monday Mr Pilip will start debate on when to call an extraordinary national conference of the Freedom Union.

The chairman of the Christian Democrats, Cyril Svoboda, described the resignation of Hana Marvanova as an unfortunate step, considering the nearly completed negotiations on the new coalition government. The deputy chairman of the Christian Democrats Jan Kasal said the whole Coalition grouping, that is the Christian Democrats and the Freedom Union, were going to be affected by Ms Marvanova's move but he expressed hope the coalition talks would not be threatened.

In the wake of the country's two day parliamentary elections President Havel has been meeting with political leaders to discuss the formation of a new government. In the course of Sunday the President met with the leader of the Social Democrats, Vladimir Spidla, whose party won over 30% of the vote, the head of the Civic Democrats Vaclav Klaus who suffered a stinging defeat at the hands of the Social Democrats getting only 23% , and the leaders of the Coalition grouping, made up of the centrist Christian Democrats and the liberal Freedom Union, which did worse than expected with just over 14% of the vote. Although the Communist Party did unexpectedly well in the elections placing third with over 18 % of the vote the President has refused to meet with them on the grounds that they do not belong among the democratic forces in Parliament.

The President said he would officially ask one of the party leaders to begin talks on putting together the country's next Cabinet on Monday. Mr. Havel admitted that, under the circumstances, he personally favored a coalition between the Social Democrats and the two centre-right Coalition parties.

The Communist party has protested against efforts to marginalize its influence on Czech politics, despite its relatively high rate of support. Communist Party leader Miroslav Grebenicek told journalists that the party had prepared a three member negotiating team and was ready to join the talks. We find it hard to believe that the Social Democrats would want to uphold a long outdated party resolution about not cooperating with the Communists, Mr. Grebenicek said, referring to a pledge that the Social Democrats made after the fall of communism in an effort to distance themselves from the Communists and build a credible party in their own right. The Communists claim that the Social Democrats should reconsider this pledge because it is allegedly against the wishes of 18% of the electorate. The Social Democrats show no intention of doing so.