Paroubek may run for speaker of lower house

The outgoing prime minister, Jiri Paroubek has indicated that he may run for the post of speaker of the lower house if a political agreement is reached with the other parliamentary parties. The election of a Social Democrat candidate to the post on a temporary basis is part of a compromise proposal made by President Vaclav Klaus this week which is aimed at breaking the deadlock in the lower chamber. Once the lower house has a new leadership the wheels will have been set in motion for the demise of the outgoing cabinet and the appointment of a prime minister designate. Six attempts to elect a new leadership have failed since elections at the start of June.