ODS regional bosses backing government against rebels

Prague, Sept 9 (CTK) - Ten regional election leaders of the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) Sunday called on six ODS deputies who did not back the government tax package on Thursday to end their rebellion, CTK learnt from a letter they sent to the party members Sunday.

The letter said the rebels were threatening the ODS success in the forthcoming regional elections.

The leaders have indicated that the tax issue was not the real reason, and backed Prime Minister Petr Necas (ODS leader).

Three of the regional leaders, including recently dismissed justice minister Jiri Pospisil, did not sign the letter.

Pospisil said such a letter need not be signed.

"I am a follower of a consensus, of a reconciliatory solution, not of the political appeals that can rather exacerbate the situation," Pospisil has told CTK.

"We are calling deputies Petr Tluchor, Ivan Fuksa, Marek Snajdr, Radim Fiala Tomas Ulehla and Jan Florian to stop further escalating the situation within the deputies' group before the regional elections. We are asking them for it as leaders of the lists of candidates who want the best possible election result for the ODS," the party officials wrote.

They wrote that the six deputies had opposed a decision by a majority and should explain why they had decided to threaten the ODS's success in the regional elections.

"We do not believe that any of them does not know that the ODS credibility will suffer over their step," the letter said.

Some analysts connected the six rebels' steps with the forthcoming ODS national congress.

The six rebels refused to vote for the government-proposed tax package returned to the Chamber of Deputies by the left-dominated Senate.

They argued that the planned increase in VAT clashed with the ODS programme.

As a result, the government has decided to propose its plan again and to link the vote on the bill with a confidence vote.