Rebel deputy threatens to tip balance of power

Milos Melcak, a rebel deputy for the Social Democrats who recently left the party's deputies' group in the lower house is threatening to tip the balance of power and support a right-wing cabinet. Mr. Melcak said his party should accept its election defeat and go into opposition before it loses more public support. If supporting a right wing cabinet would get it there, Mr. Melcak said, he would be prepared to do that. Fearful of a rebellion in the Social Democrat camp, the party leader Jiri Paroubek has made all the Social Democrat deputies sign a pledge that they would remain loyal to the party line. He said on Thursday he wanted all rebels expelled from the party.