News
Emerging coalition offers to stay in power until early elections
The would-be coalition of the Civic Democrats, the Christian Democrats and the Greens are going to offer to Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek that their coalition cabinet would stay in power only until an early election next year. It would prepare a state budget for next year and a change to the election system which would prevent political deadlocks like the one the country is experiencing now. The Civic Democrats, the Christian Democrats and the Green Party have been in talks since June about the forming of a governing coalition, however, the grouping has only 100 votes in the 200-member lower house where elections in June produced a perfect split between the leftist and centre-right parties.
Prime Minister and Social Democrat chairman Jiri Paroubek has reiterated that his party refuses any kind of agreement with the three-party coalition. Civic Democrat chairman Mirek Topolanek has said he is planning to meet Mr Paroubek and present the offer to him in person.
PM explains Social Democrat plan to solve political deadlock to President
Prime Minister and Social Democrat leader Jiri Paroubek has met President Vaclav Klaus to give him details about his party's plan to solve the political deadlock after the June national elections. Mr Paroubek declined to comment on what he called a "comprehensive" plan of the Social Democrats. He only indicated that it should involve an agreement between the Civic Democrats who won the elections and his Social Democrats who came second.
Senate chairman convenes extraordinary session
Meanwhile, the chairman of the Senate, Premysl Sobotka, has convened an extraordinary session of the upper house of the Czech Parliament for next Wednesday. The Senators should discuss the possibility of early elections to the lower house. They are also going to discuss an amendment to the Constitution which would enable the President to dissolve the lower chamber, provided that a majority of MPs have approved it and the government has stepped down. Under current legislation, the procedure is considerably lengthier.
Press: TPCA makes loss worth almost 100 million USD
TPCA, the car manufacturing joint venture between Toyota and PSA Peugeot Citroen, made a loss of 2.2 billion crowns (77.3 million euros, 98.6 million dollars) in 2005, the daily Mlada fronta Dnes reported on Tuesday. According to the paper, TPCA turnover in 2005 reached 21 billion crowns (737.6 million euro, 941.9 million dollars). In 2005 the company produced only a third of its eventual capacity, TPCA president Yasuhiro Takahashi told the paper. This year turnover should rise to about 1.8 billion euros with car production climbing to 300,000 units, a spokesman added.
Hasek returns to NHL Red Wings
Dominik Hasek, the 41-year-old Czech goaltender known as the "Dominator", signed a one-year National Hockey League contract on Monday with the Detroit Red Wings. Hasek was not kept by the Ottawa Senators and the six-time Vezina Trophy winner as the NHL's top netminder had said he would only play another season for the Senators. He was lured back to the Red Wings, who he helped win a Stanley Cup in 2002, for a 750,000-dollar contract that could bring up to 1.1 million dollars in playoff bonus money. Hasek was a hero for the 1998 gold medal Czech hockey team, helping them capture the first Olympic tournament to feature NHL players at Nagano, Japan.
Weather
It should be partly cloudy in the next few days, with daytime temperatures reaching 30 degrees Celsius. Scattered showers have been forecast around the country over the next few days.
