Senate approves step to ease early elections

The Czech Senate, or upper house, has approved amendments to a law which would make it possible to dissolve the lower house faster, and call early elections. Seventy of the 77 senators present voted in favor of the amendment proposal; the opposing senators were all Social Democrats or Communists. The amendment will come into effect if approved by the president, as well as a minimum of 120 MPs. There are 200 members in the lower house, which is currently trying to find a way out of a deadlock that has the house split down the middle.