Awwal 10, 1432 / April 14, 2011, SPA -- Party leaders in the ruling Czech coalition have pledged to maintain their alliance despite a corruption scandal that has brought it to the brink of collapse, President Vaclav Klaus said after talks on Thursday, according to Reuters. Klaus stepped into a deep rift that has threatened to break up the centre-right cabinet, popular with investors thanks to fiscal reform plans, amid allegations of bribery, improper business relations and backstabbing among the coalition parties. "I was assured by all three chairmen of the coalition parties that they are firmly determined to continue on the basis of the three-party coalition and that they know well that each of them must back off a little," Klaus told reporters. He said the parties needed to hold more talks to find a way out of the crisis, including a cabinet reshuffle. The party leaders were meeting on Thursday afternoon. Allegations of corruption and improper relations between business and political figures have been a common feature of Czech politics for years, but there have been no high-profile convictions. Financial markets have so far largely ignored the coalition's problems. The country's state debt is less than half the EU average. The row, the latest and most serious in the coalition formed last year, started with allegations that Vit Barta, the main figure in the smallest coalition party, the centrist Public Affairs, gave cash to party members to keep their loyalty. He denied any wrongdoing.
