Czech Legislative Elections End In Deadlock

4 Jun 2006, 15:00 - Politics
The result of Czech election to the lower parliamentary chamber ended in a stalemate. The opposition liberal-conservative Civic Democrat Party (ODS) gaind 35,38 percent in the June 2-3 election while Social Democrats 32,32 percents.

Under the country's system of proportional representation, the Civic Democrats won 81 seats, the Social Democrats have 74 seats, the Communists took 26 seats, the Christian Democrats won 13 seats and the Greens have remaining six seats. The 5 % threshold to enter the Assembly has not been reached by any other party. Greens entered to the Parliament for the first time in history.

Predictions were that either the opposition Civic Democrats would form a government with the centrist Christian Democrats and the Greens (Czech Greens tends to be right wing), or that the outgoing Social Democrats would team up with the Communists. Both of these possible coalition now have only 100 seats in 200 member.

President Vaclav Klaus now said he will he will begin talks with Topolanek (ODS leader) on forming a new government on Monday. The commentators are not still sure what kind of government will emerge. No agreement on the coalition would lead either to so called grand coalition (ODS+CSSD) or to preliminary election.