Vaclav Klaus defends his decision to appoint Mirek Topolanek PM a second time

Appearing on TV Prima's Sunday talk show Nedelni partie, President Vaclav Klaus said that he can think of no reason not to run for president again in 2008, but that this is not the time to confirm his intention to run for a second term in office. Mr. Klaus stressed that his current priority is finding a solution to the political stalemate that has left the Czech Republic without a real government for the past five-and-a-half months. Mr. Klaus also added that he thinks his choice to appoint Civic Democratic chairman Mirek Topolanek prime minister a second time was only logical, given the Civic Democrats' success in the recent local and Senate elections. The President stressed that no where is it written that the second attempt at forming a government must be automatically granted to the second-place party - hence the Social Democrats, in this case. Some commentators have suggested that President Klaus' desire to be re-elected president for a second term is influencing his approach to negotiations over a new government in the Czech Republic.