Czech opposition leader to gather coalition parliament

The winner of parliamentary elections Czech opposition leader Mirek Topolanek wants to combine with the Christian Democrats and the Greens. He told to the president, that he was going to cooperate with all parties, except the Communists.

Photo: Czech opposition leader to gather coalition parliament

Earlier Monday, Czech President Vaclav Klaus asked Topolanek to start talks on forming the country's new government. Topolanek's center-right Civic Democratic Party, which had campaigned on promises of economic reform, failed to win a majority of seats in the 200-member lower house of Parliament and so will have to seek out coalition partners from among the other parties.

Topolanek emphasized he would most likely seek an alliance with the small center-right Christian Democratic Party, now a member of Paroubek's ruling coalition - and has ruled out teaming up with the Socialists, reported “Pravda.ru” earlier.

Forming a viable coalition is expected to be difficult. The Civic Democratic Party won 81 seats with 35.4 percent of the vote in the Friday and Saturday election, while Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek's Social Democrats, who have governed for the past eight years, came second with 74 seats, or 32.3 percent of the vote.

Even if Topolanek can strike a deal with the Christian Democrats and the Greens, such a coalition would have just half of the chamber's seats. The third-ranked Communists won 26 seats. Topolanked gave no details but said he would seek support through "decent politics and an acceptable program". He also called on Paroubek's outgoing Cabinet not to make any substantial decisions before a new government is formed.

"This (Paroubek's) government lost its legitimacy," he told a news conference. Also Monday, Klaus called on the new Parliament to convene for the first time on June 16, in a move that turns the outgoing Cabinet into a caretaker government, reports the AP.

N.U.