The lower house of the Czech parliament has postponed a vote on its dissolution to August 20, four days later than initially planned to ensure that enough lawmakers will be present, CTK news agency reported citing the heads of TOP 09 and Social Democrats (CSSD) deputy groups.
The debate on dissolving the legislature will start on August 16 and will be followed by a vote on August 20, parliamentary speaker Miroslava Nemcova told Czech Television. The move will pave the way for early elections likely in October, before a regular vote due next May.
The vote is aimed at putting an end to a political crisis that started in June with the collapse of the centre-right government of Petr Necas amid a bribery and spying scandal.
Latest opinion polls show CSSD as the likely winner in the next general elections as it holds a double-digit lead over other parties. CSSD has been calling for early elections since the collapse of Necas’ government but an earlier motion failed to win support in parliament.
A poll by Median agency showed that 72% of the Czechs want early elections to be held as soon as possible. The results of the poll also showed that the turnout in the elections would hit a record high with 40% of those who did not cast their vote in the 2010 elections would like to do so now.
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