Právo: Czech scene expects PM Nečas's departure, replacement

Prague, Sept 26 (CTK) - Czech President Vaclav Klaus seems to have written off Petr Necas (Civic Democrats, ODS) as prime minister and rumours about the expected emergence of a new ODS-led cabinet with Martin Kuba at the helm are gaining strength behind the scenes, daily Pravo writes Wednesday.

The confusion that Klaus stirred up in the governing coalition of the ODS, TOP 09 and LIDEM by vetoing several bills and repeatedly lashing out at the government's steps has aroused the question of what is Klaus aiming at, Pravo writes.

Klaus, in an interview for Czech Television (CT) on Tuesday, asserted that at the moment he "cannot imagine a government different" from the present one nor does he seek the present government's fall, Pravo recalls.

Klaus also said Necas has unnecessarily raised tension by linking the Chamber of Deputies' vote on bills with a confidence vote.

"In my opinion, this is quite an unneeded and unnecessary escalation of tension...I'd advise that the situation not be made more tense," Klaus told CT, adding that he cannot say whether raising tension would benefit the ODS.

Klaus words seem to indicate his plan to use the six rebelling ODS deputies to get rid of Necas as prime minister. The easiest way to achieve the goal would be if Necas got weakened in the October regional and Senate polls and afterwards defeated at the ODS national congress where he will seek re-election as party chairman, Pravo writes.

"They [ODS rebels] bet on the president asking [Industry and Trade Minister] Martin Kuba (ODS), for example, [to form a a new cabinet]," a high-ranking ODS official told Pravo.

Kuba recently dismissed any ambitions to replace Necas, nor would he allegedly challenge Necas as party chairman at the ODS congress. He will "only" seek the post of first deputy chairman, he said.

Later, however, Kuba admitted that he would seek party chairmanship if Necas failed to be re-elected, Pravo points out.

Necas, as well as Finance Minister and TOP 09 first deputy head Miroslav Kalousek have said that the present coalition government's existence would have no sense anymore if the Chamber of Deputies failed to pass the government's crucial tax package and override Klaus's veto on the key pension reform bill, all legislation challenged by the ODS rebels, Pravo writes.

If the Necas government fell, Klaus and the ODS rebels may reckon with Klaus appointing a new prime minister and with the present governing coalition remaining in power. This, however, is opposed by a majority of the ODS deputies and also by TOP 09, Pravo writes.

Necas sent out a clear message in this respect on Tuesday when he said that "if somebody reckons with toppling this cabinet and putting together a successor cabinet at Prague Castle [the presidential seat]," he, Necas, would prefer early elections, Pravo writes.

"If they believe that they will topple the cabinet, form another one and continue ruling, they are mistaken. We would not hesitate to agree with the [opposition] Social Democrats and Communists on holding early elections," a close ally of Necas told Pravo, referring to the ODS rebels and may be also to Klaus.

The easiest way to provoke early elections, however, would be if the Chamber of Deputies' passed a resolution on the basis of which the president would dissolve it. Such resolution needs support of at least 120 deputies in the 200-seat Chamber, Pravo writes.

The daily Lidove noviny (LN) recalls that the Czech 2013 budget bill, drafted by Kalousek's ministry, reckons with the implementation of a few key bills whose passing has been endangered by the ODS rebels along with Klaus, such as the tax package, the pension reform and the church property restitution.

If the bills failed to be passed in time, so would be the budget bill and the Czech Republic would end up with a stop-gap budget as from January 2013, LN warns.