Three Czech parties declare they wish to form coalition

The Czech centre-right to right-wing parties signed Wednesday a declaration expressing their intention to form a coalition government.

This decision is a result of the first meeting of leaders of the Civic Democrats (ODS), Top 09 and Public Affairs (VV) after last weekend's elections in which they together won comfortable majority in lower house of Czech Parliament.

The teams of experts will meet now to negotiate about concrete wording of their common program. President Vaclav Klaus will meet the leader of ODS Petr Necas to be informed about the talks.

Presidential secretary Ladislav Jakl said Klaus was expecting guarantees from Necas that the coalition plan is not just "a blank experiment."

In separate development, the Social Democrats (CSSD), who won the most seats of deputies but have not found sufficient support of other parties, announced they would meet on Friday to decide whether they would try to negotiate about future coalition or and accept the role of an opposition party.

Source: Xinhua