A preliminary plan to resolve a cabinet crisis by replacing Prime Minister Stanislav Gross and reuniting three parties in a left-centre coalition hit a snag hours after it was hammered out Thursday. The leadership of Gross' Social Democrats (CSSD) rejected the deal worked out by the premier with the Christian Democrats (KDU) and Freedom Union to form a "loose coalition". The CSSD's parliament fraction also rejected the deal. The prime minister had conceded too much, said the CSSD leadership. Leaders of the three parties planned to meet late Thursday to find a way out of the impasse, but shortly before the start of the negotiations, Miroslav Kalousek, chairman of the Christian Democrats, said his party would not participate. Despite his role in negotiating the plan, Gross voted against it, the news agency CTK said. The goal was to a stage a falling out with the other parties, enabling a minority government formed with the communists to be tolerated, CTK said. Earlier Czech President Vaclav Klaus welcomed the apparent agreement with the words, "I trust that the government crisis, already in its third month, thankfully is moving toward its end." --More 2330 Local Time 2030 GMT
