Gov't parties unlikely to sign new coalition deal in January

Prague, Jan 21 (CTK) - The three parties of the Czech centre-right government seem rather unlikely to sign a new coalition agreement by the end of January as originally planned, according to their negotiators whom CTK addressed Monday.

The Civic Democratic Party (ODS) of Prime Minister Petr Necas, TOP 09 of presidential candidate Karel Schwarzenberg and LIDEM of Karolina Peake are discussing a revised coalition agreement that would include the government's priorities for the remaining part of the election term. The next general election is due in mid-2014.

"I don't expect us to finish it by the end of the month," TOP 09 negotiator Stanislav Polcak said about the new coalition agreement.

Peake nevertheless said all crucial points may be agreed on by the end of January. "But I am not sure whether we will also manage to sign it by then," Peake told CTK.

ODS first deputy chairman Martin Kuba said two or three weeks were needed to produce the final text.

According to unofficial information, the coalition partners have different opinions on possible merging or scrapping of ministries.

The government plans to merge the industry and trade ministry and the transport ministry into a single new office, an economy ministry, in 2014. Proposals for mergers of the culture and education ministries and the agriculture and environment ministries and for the closure of the local development ministry appeared, too.

LIDEM said previously it wanted the government to declare that the bill on civil servants, legislation curbing the red-tape and a bill on the supervision of the financing of political parties are among its priorities for the next year and a half.

The planned reduction of red tape and mergers of various state bodies may be the issues on which the negotiations are getting stuck.

The negotiating teams of the three parties are to meet on Tuesday and Thursday.

The government parties decided to work out a new coalition agreement at the end of 2012 after they pushed their key tax package through.

But the coalition was hit by a crisis before Christmas because Necas sacked Peake as defence minister after she spent only a few days in the post. LIDEM then threatened to leave the government and the work of a new agreement stopped. Two weeks ago LIDEM announced its decision to remain part of the government.