Mirek Topolanek new prime minister designate

Mirek Topolanek, leader of the right-of-center Civic Democratic Party, has been named the new prime minister designate by President Vaclav Klaus. As expected, the news was made official at Prague Castle on Wednesday afternoon. Mr. Topolanek is now looking to find support for his proposed Civic Democratic minority government, a process he says may take two to three weeks of negotiations. Mr. Topolanek told reporters that talks with the Social Democrats, the Christian Democrats and the Greens will begin immediately, but that the Civic Democrats will not seek support from the Communist Party. Meanwhile, Social Democratic leader, Jiri Paroubek, told reporters that an agreement with the Civic Democrats could be signed by next Wednesday, thus allowing for a new Czech government to take the reins.