Czech right quells rebels but govt still uncertain

...their already shaky chances in a parliamentary confidence vote.

Prime Minister and Civic Democrat leader Mirek Topolanek has proposed a cabinet including the centrist Christian Democrats and the Green Party in an attempt to end a seven month political crisis created by an inconclusive election in June.

The proposed cabinet has 100 votes in the 200-seat lower house and therefore must seek rebels from the leftist parties to win a confidence vote prescribed by the constitution.

But even some Civic Democrats had protested against Topolanek's decision to yield the key finance and regional development ministries to his coalition partners, threatening a rebellion which worsened the outlook for the confidence vote.

On Wednesday, though, the Civic Democrat deputies agreed to vote for the cabinet despite their misgivings.

"We are convinced this is the only possible (solution) to be supported by the (party's) parliamentary caucus," Petr Tluchor, chief of the Civic Democrat deputies, said.

Even if all Civic Democrats follow the party line, the coalition will still be one vote short of a majority.

Topolanek hopes at least one opposition leftist Social Democrat will support the government, but has won nothing close to an assurance from either of two rebel Social Democrat deputies who have quit to become independents.

President Vaclav Klaus, who formally appoints ministers, has demanded Topolanek find wider support for his cabinet, and has not fixed a date for naming the ministers.

Social Democrat chief Jiri Paroubek said on Wednesday he was sure Topolanek's attempt would fail, which would be his second loss after his first attempt -- a minority Civic Democrat-only administration -- lost a confidence vote in October.

Paroubek said that if the proposed government loses the confidence vote, he would be ready to renew talks on a three-way left-right coalition with the Civic Democrats and the Christian Democrats, or try to form a minority Social Democrat-only cabinet.

The third attempt may be tricky because the third prime minister is due to be appointed by the parliamentary speaker.

The current Social Democrat speaker, however, has pledged to step down before the third attempt, and electing a new one may be tough in the hung parliament unless there is a wider deal among the main parties. If three successive attempts to form a government fail, the president can call early elections.

[PRAGUE/Reuters/Finance.cz]