Social Democrats call on rebel MPs to support party programme

Senior opposition Social Democrat leader Jiri Paroubek and the head of the parliamentary group of Social Democrat MPs Michal Hasek have called on rebel deputies Milos Melcak and Michal Pohanka to support the party's programme. Melcak and Pohanka were elected to the lower house of parliament as Social Democrat MPs in June but later defied party orders by not voting against the centre-right government of Mirek Topolanek in a confidence vote. Pohanka subsequently left the party and Melcak was expelled. In an open letter Paroubek and Hasek asked Melcak and Pohanka to support the government's energy and tax policies as well as its planned changes to the sickness benefit system. Former Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek said that the party's relations with Melcak and Pohanka would improve if they backed the Social Democrats' programme. Nevertheless, the Social Democrat leadership did not say if Melcak and Pohanka's support would lead to their membership being renewed.

Author: Coilin O'Connor