Paroubek: Social Democrats will not join four-party coalition

Meanwhile, the Social Democrats have announced they will not join the four-party ruling coalition being proposed by Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek, that would rule only until early elections in 2008. Party leader Jiri Paroubek made the announcement on Sunday evening after a meeting with other Social Democrat negotiators. The Social Democrat leader said his party has its own proposal for a cabinet including the Social Democrats, the right-of-centre Civic Democrats, and the Christian Democrats, that would rule for a regular four year term.