Leaders of main political parties seek government deal, agree early elections

Leaders of the country’s two biggest political parties have agreed that early elections should be held in October, the Czech News Agency reported on Saturday. But a Reuters report citing a spokeswoman for Prime Minister and Civic Democrat leader Mirek Topolánek said they had agreed on early elections but not on a date. Social Democrat leader Jiří Paroubek and Mr Topolánek met late Friday to discuss ways of solving the current political crisis following the toppling of the centre-right coalition this week. The Social Democrat leader said he is prepared to support a remodelled version of the outgoing government as long as Minister of the Interior Ivan Langer and Supreme State Attorney Renáta Vesecká do not feature in it, the Czech News Agency said. Mr Paroubek said they also agreed to form a joint working group to discuss solutions to the economic crisis and that under certain conditions his party was prepared to support the government’s crisis package. In a statement on Friday, the Czech President’s office said that he is prepared to help thrash out agreement on an election date and reshuffling the outgoing government.

Author: Chris Johnstone