Social Democrat leader biding time

Social Democrat leader and outgoing Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek said on Tuesday that he expects to be entrusted with the task of forming a new government in October, since he does not believe that a minority Civic Democrat government can win a confidence vote in the lower house. He said that in the coming weeks his party would go into the opposition, prepare for local and Senate elections and refrain from any negotiations on a future government.