Leaders of Czech ruling parties agree to dissolve coalition.

By bne IntelliNews April 23, 2012
The leaders of the three Czech government parties agreed on April 22 to dissolve the coalition in its current shape, CTK newswire reported. The three parties - Civic Democrats (ODS), TOP 09 and Public Affairs (VV), vowed to back in parliament the government's bills that were approved up to April 11 and that envisage a package of tax rises and spending cuts. The breakup of the coalition follows the split of VV, the coalition's smallest partner, after deputy PM Karolina Peake left the party last week and started a new political platform. Peake has pledged to support the government and she needs at least 10 votes to give the government a majority in the parliament's lower house. The main governing party Civic Democrats (ODS) and junior partner TOP 09 control 94 of the votes in the 200-seat parliament. PM Petr Necas said last week that if his government fails to keep the majority in the parliament he would call early elections in June. The snap elections will most likely be won by the main opposition party Social Democrats according to opinion polls. The ruling coalition has seen its popularity slump amid months of infighting and corruption scandals. Some 90,000 Czechs gathered at Prague's central Wenceslas Square to protest against the government's austerity measures and demanded early elections.

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