Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek announced Sunday that he will present his minority government's agenda to President Vaclav Klaus next week and try to gain a parliamentary majority for it before the meeting, according to dpa. The agenda for a minority cabinet run by his conservative Civic Democrats (ODS) is expected to be ready then. After unsuccessful negotiations to form a coalition government, Topolanek had earlier said: "The government's aim will be to bring the country to early elections and prevent the communists from gaining power." The heads of the five parliamentary parties are to hold a crisis meeting with the president in the coming days. But former prime minister Jiri Paroubek, whose Social Democrats (CSSD) still effectively control the government despite an ODS victory in the June 3 elections, held talks earlier this week aimed at forming his own cabinet with the centrist Christian Democrats (KDU). On Thursday, KDU leader Miroslav Kalousek gave preliminary approval to support a minority government led by CSSD. The proposal for a centre-left alliance has yet to be approved by KDU deputies.
