UPDATE 1-Czech govt survives no confidence vote

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PRAGUE, June 20 (Reuters) - Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek's centre-right coalition government survived a vote of no confidence brought by the leftist opposition Social Democrats on Wednesday.

The Social Democrats, along with the far-left Communists, called the vote to show dissatisfaction with Deputy Prime Minister Jiri Cunek, who has been charged by police for allegedly accepting a bribe.

The motion to dismiss the cabinet won 97 votes, short of the 101 votes needed in the 200-seat lower house.

The government coalition controls just 100 seats in the house, but it also won the support of two defectors from the Social Democrats who have backed it in some previous motions. It won 101 votes, with one government and one opposition deputy missing.

"This will likely be a feature which will accompany us for the entire tenure of this cabinet, given the tight balance of power in the lower house," Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek said after the vote.

"However it was apparent how this would end up."

Cunek, leader of the Christian Democrats, has resisted calls for his resignation from both opposition and government ranks, saying he never took any bribe while serving as a mayor of an eastern Czech town five years ago, as police are alleging.

The Social Democrats have accused the government of interfering in the case by switching state attorneys overseeing the investigation. It is up to the state attorney to decide whether to bring the case to court.

Cunek has the backing of his Christian Democrat party, but another coalition partner, the Greens, is trying to push him out of the cabinet. Topolanek has indicated he would dismiss Cunek if he were brought to court.

The government is trying to push through a package of tax and spending reforms aimed at cutting the budget deficit to 3 percent of gross domestic product next year from over 4 percent expected this year.

The next election is due in 2010.