Topolanek addresses party conference: warns against in-party bickering

Prime minister and head of the senior ruling Civic Democrats, Mirek Topolanek, addressed his party at its conference on Saturday, warning that in-party bickering could seriously undermine the government. In a 30 minute speech, the prime minister told his party that he was 90% happy with the way that the governing coalition was operating, and with the work of his cabinet, but added that future success and victory at the next elections could be jeopardised by in-party fighting and egotism. He criticised those in the party who, he said, only made themselves heard when they were unhappy with some party policy. Mr Topolanek told Civic Democrats that their government remained ‘strong’, and that the party had managed to push through all of the laws and reforms which it had proposed so far in parliament. Also in his speech, the prime minister told MPs that there could no cooperation with Communist Party politicians, even, he said, at a local level.