Inter-party negotiations to form a new government are scheduled to begin
on Sunday evening. Leaders of the Social Democrats, Christian Democrats
and Freedom Union will be discussing a proposal put forth by Prime
Minister Stanislav Gross to form a "pro-European" government
with a new Social Democrat party member at the helm. Mr Gross has agreed
to step down from office on the condition that the coalition members not
nominate party leaders for key Cabinet posts. Under the Czech
constitution, the prime minister's resignation automatically triggers the
whole Cabinet's collapse. If Mr Gross quits, it would be the second
cabinet collapse in the Czech Republic in less than a year.
Ahead of Sunday night's meeting, Christian Democrat deputy chairman Libor
Ambrozek, who was one of five ministers to resign in recent days, said
that his party would not let Mr Gross dictate who it would nominate to
take up Cabinet post in a new government. He was reacting to the Prime
Minister's demands that ministers who had "undermined" the
government, presumably by resigning, not be allowed to resume their posts.
According to the Social Democrats, the new government, which will likely
be
headed by the current Czech ambassador to the European Union, Jan Kohout,
would be a kind of caretaker government, formed to gain confidence in an
upcoming vote before the lower house of Parliament. Prime Minister Gross
has said that if the coalition members do not agree to form such a
government, the Social Democrats will govern alone with a minority
Cabinet.