Coalition pact to be signed on Tuesday

Prague/Sofia, July 7 (CTK) - The ruling ANO movement and the Social Democrats (CSSD) will sign their government coalition pact on Tuesday, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis (ANO) told journalists on Saturday.

On the same day, the agreement with the Communists on their tolerating the government will be signed as well, he added.

On Wednesday, the Chamber of Deputies will debate confidence vote in the new minority government, supported by the Communists.

Babis said the government would gain the confidence.

"I presume that we will sign the coalition agreement with the CSSD on Tuesday," Babis said.

"We already have the signatures of lawmakers for both ANO and the CSSD. I presume that we are to sign an agreement with the Communists (KSCM) that will be of different nature than that with the CSSD," he added.

The agreement with the KSCM, thanks to which the minority may be formed, is loose, Babis said.

"There is no commitment on voting in the same way on all legislation," he added.

Babis said he expected all the deputies for ANO, the CSSD and the KSCM to vote for the confidence.

"As they have signed it, they should logically support it," he added.

Some media has written that former defence minister Karla Slechtova (ANO) is still making up her mind.

Babis said he did not know anything about this.

"I spoke with her about defence on Thursday morning. We cleared up something with her. I cannot see any reason of her being against," he added.

He said he also believed in the participation of all lawmakers for ANO, the Social Democrats and the Communists in the Wednesday vote.

The government of ANO and the CSSD only has 93 votes in the 200-member Chamber of Deputies. However, thanks to 15 Communist votes it has a majority in it.