President Klaus tells coalition parties to form government or face early elections

With the Czech government in disarray, President Vaclav Klaus said on Friday he would push for early elections unless the three parties in the collapsed coalition of Prime Minister Stanislav Gross agree to form a new government. Mr Klaus said he would not allow a third alternative - a minority Social Democrat government.

The president said he was angry that Mr Gross's party had rejected a deal on the creation of a new majority government with the Christian Democrats and the Freedom Union to lead the country until elections next year. Under this agreement, agreed late on Wednesday night, Prime Minister Gross could have stood down without the need for early elections.