Party leaders discuss immediate future in TV debate

Speaking in a debate on Czech Television on Sunday, the Civic Democrat chief Mirek Topolanek said that with the exception of the Communists, he would not exclude any party from coalition talks. If his Civic Democrats fail to put together a government, Mr Topolanek said he will step down as party chairman. Prime Minister and Social Democrat leader Jiri Paroubek said he was going to recommend to his party to go into opposition. The chairman of the Communist Party Vojtech Filip called for a government of national unity combining all five parties in the lower house. However, the other parties said they would not form a government with the Communists, who lost a third of their seats compared with four years ago.