Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on Feb 12

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CONSTRUCTION OUTPUT

December construction output due out at 9 a.m. (0800 GMT).

CURRENT ACCOUNT

December current account balance due for release at 10 a.m. (0900 GMT).

- For real-time economic data releases and market consensus forecasts, double click on the code in brackets:

[RTRS-LEN-CZ-ECI]

TRANSITORY RATE HIKES OR CUTS POSSIBLE

Monetary policy is likely to hold steady over a longer period of time, but it is impossible to rule out transitory hikes or cuts in interest rates, central bank (CNB) Vice-Governor Miroslav Singer said.

[ID:nL09668207] [RTRS-LEN-CZ-CEN-PLCY]

VICE-PM CHARGED

Police charged Deputy Prime Minister Jiri Cunek over allegations he took a bribe when he was the mayor of an eastern Czech town.

Cunek, who had his parliamentary immunity lifted earlier this week at his own request, denies any wrongdoing and has said he has documents showing the money had a legitimate origin.

[ID:nL09260584]

Opposition leader and Social Democrat Chairman Jiri Paroubek called on Cunek to resign, writes the daily Mlada fronta Dnes.

- For most recent news on Czech politics, double click on the code in brackets: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-POL]

MORTGAGE BOOM

Banks have seen unprecedented interest in mortgages since the start of the year even though January is normally a slow month, writes the business daily Hospodarske Noviny (page 13).

Market leader Ceska Sporitelna, a unit of Austria's Erste Bank has reported an almost 88 percent increase in mortgage volumes to some 3 billion crowns ($137.9 million) for the first month of the year.

[RTRS-LEN-CZ-BNK]

PUTIN ATTACKS US

Looming elections at home and anger over U.S. missile defences moving close to Russia's borders underlie President Vladimir Putin's harsh attack on the United States in a speech on Saturday, analysts say.

[nL11799230] [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DIP]

Putin's speech criticising the United States and NATO showed why it is important to expand the transatlantic military alliance, the Czech foreign minister said.

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EX-CBANK CHIEF

Former long-time Czech National Bank Governor and 1998 Prime Minister Josef Tosovsky apparently cooperated with the Communist state police, writes the biggest mainstream daily Mlada fronta Dnes (page 1). This stems from the Interior Ministry's unprocessed archival documents.

According to the documents, he became a collaborator in 1986, when working as a consultant at the Czechoslovak National Bank. Tosovsky refused to comment, reports the daily. He lives in Switzerland, where he heads the Financial Stability Institute, which is part of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS).

Overview of past economic data and market forecasts For Instant Views of key economic data click on [CZ/INSTANT] For summary of economic data and forecasts For diary of forthcoming Czech events [CZ/DIARY] For calendar of east European economic indicators [CONV/DIARY] TOP NEWS -- Emerging markets [TOP/EMRG] TOP NEWS -- Convergence watch [TOP/EAST]

For an economic indicator diary for the euro zone, the United States and other Group of Seven countries see

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News editor of the day: Alan Crosby on +420 224 190 477; fax: +420 224 229 935

E-mail: prague.newsroom@reuters.com

Reuters Messaging: alan.crosby.reuters.com@reuters.net

((Compiled by Marek Petrus; Reuters Messaging: rm://marek.petrus.reuters.com@reuters.net; e-mail: prague.newsroom@reuters.com or marek.petrus@reuters.com;

Tel: +420 224 190 477)) ($1=21.75 Czech Crown)

[PRAGUE/Reuters/Finance.cz]