Czech government can continue to work - opposition leader

Předseda ČSSD Jiří Paroubek se na tiskové konferenci 13. ledna v Praze vyjádřil k aktuálnímu politickému dění v souvislosti s českým předsednictvím EU.

published: 24.03.2009, 19:26 | updated: 24.03.2009 19:36:57

Paroubek: Kabinet může do konce předsednictví vládnout v demisi

Prague - Czech senior opposition Social Democrat (CSSD) chairman Jiri Paroubek said today that the government on which the Chamber of Deputies passed a no confidence vote today could continue to work, in spite of resignation, till the end of the Czech EU presidency.

There is space for an agreement on a caretaker cabinet until that time, Paroubek said. He resolutely rejected the idea of the CSSD participating in a government along with the ODS.

He said early elections were only possible in the autumn and until that time lawmakers could agree on a new election law.

"We will negotiate about passing such constitutional law and this requires time and certain procedure that will take about three months, according to our estimates," Paroubek said.

"We will simply not enter the government with such a discredited coalition, we are prepared to discuss the support for a government of experts that will be able to cope with the impact of the global economic crisis," Paroubek said.

Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek said on Monday that if his government failed to survive the no confidence, that was initiated by the CSSD, the ODS would seek calling early elections as soon as possible, probably this summer.

He said he did not want any form of a caretaker government and expected President Vaclav Klaus to again ask the head of the strongest political party to form a new government by which he meant himself.

Topolanek refused to agree on the earlier published CSSD's proposal for his cabinet to continue to govern until the end of the Czech Republic's EU presidency in June, regardless of the resignation.

The no confidence in Topolanek's centre-right coalition government was expressed today, apart from the opposition, also be four deputies who were elected to the Chamber of Deputies for the coalition parties.

Thanks to them, the opposition gained the 101 votes for its motion that were required to topple the cabinet.

ODS deputies Jan Schwippel and Vlastimil Tlusty and former members of the junior government Green Party (SZ) Olga Zubova and Vera Jakubkova supported the no confidence motion.

The opposition managed to express the no confidence in the government for the first time in the history of the independent Czech Republic.

Author: ČTK
www.ctk.cz

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Tags: Chamber, government, Paroubek, presidency, no confidence,