Topolanek: Klaus election failure would not bring down cabinet

Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek has dismissed speculation that the governing cabinet could collapse if President Vaclav Klaus was not re-elected early next year. Mr Topolanek said that the forthcoming presidential election was not an issue covered in his Civic Democratic Party's agreement with its coalition partners the Greens and the Christian Democrats. Mr Topolanek was reacting in response to comments made by Civic Democrat deputy chairman and Prague mayor Pavel Bem, who had suggested that the ruling cabinet would fall if President Klaus was not re-elected. Mr Klaus will be the Civic Democrat's candidate in next year's presidential election. The Greens and the Christian Democrats are currently negotiating with the main opposition party, the Social Democrats, about fielding a joint candidate to challenge the President.