Former party head Milos Zeman quits Social Democrats

Former chairman Milos Zeman has announced he is quitting the Social Democratic Party. The Czech Press Agency reported that Mr Zeman made the decision after learning that current leader Jiri Paroubek had initiated criminal proceedings against him over a case in which a lawyer is suing the party over unpaid fees. For his part, Mr Paroubek said Mr Zeman's resignation was a desperate attempt to influence a party conference next weekend.

Mr Zeman lead the Social Democrats for eight years and helped make the party one of the strongest forces in Czech politics. He was prime minister from 1998 to 2002.