Paroubek indicates Social Democrats not likely to join four-party coalition

The leader of the Social Democratic Party, Jiri Paroubek, has suggested it would be better for his party not to join a four-party ruling coalition being proposed by Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek. Speaking on a Czech TV news programme on Sunday Mr Paroubek stressed that he couldn't imagine the Social Democrats joining a government that would rule for only one a half years; the prime minister's plan suggests the government would run the country until the spring of 2008. On Sunday, Mr Paroubek said that his party had already rejected similar proposals in recent months, and indicated preference for a proposal counting on just two other parties with a longer mandate.

The Social Democrats are to make public their decision on Monday. Politicians are now in a second attempt to try and form a viable government after elections ended in stalemate in June.