PM says he will persuade Tlusty top back reform package

Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek has vowed to persuade Civic Democrat deputy Vlastimil Tlusty to back the government's reform package in the lower house. Mr. Tlusty, a senior member of the strongest governing party and a former finance minister, said he could not support the government's tax and spending reform package since it fell short of the Civic Democratic Party's election promises. Other right-wing lawmakers have joined in the criticism, though no other deputy has threatened to withdraw support for the reform package.

The prime minister said last week that his fragile coalition government would resign if the reform package failed to win approval. The centre right coalition government only managed to win a confidence vote in the lower house thanks to two left-wing defectors and it now needs collective backing from all coalition parties plus the vote of at least one of the defectors in order to push through a bill in the 200 seat lower house.