Czech Republic: Czech president Vaclav Klaus is expected to appoint Mirek Topolanek as prime minister for the second time today, giving him another chance to form a government capable of breaking five months of political deadlock.
Mr Topolanek said yesterday that he would accept the nomination as prime minister, after receiving the support of his centre-right Civic Democrat party (ODS), which defeated the Social Democrats of former prime minister Jiri Paroubek in a hard-fought June election.
The ballot gave 100 seats to right-wing parties and 100 to their rivals on the left, who have so far blocked efforts by the ODS to form a conservative coalition cabinet.
Mr Topolanek's first attempt to gain approval for his government foundered in parliament last month but, buoyed by his party's success in subsequent senate and local elections, he wants to form a cabinet that would rule only until a new general election next spring.
Many Czechs blame the Social Democrats for blocking the formation of a new government.
Mr Paroubek's party rejected a recent proposal by the president to participate in a four-party coalition, dominated by right-wing parties, that would govern until an early ballot.
Mr Paroubek has offered to discuss a coalition with the ODS if it drops key campaign promises to overhaul the tax and welfare systems, and has suggested he might support a minority ODS government that would rule for just two years.
Mr Topolanek has rejected those possibilities, but said yesterday that in his second attempt to form a government he would "not be afraid to dust off options that have been unsuccessful to date, or to offer new variations [ for a government]".
Mr Klaus is due to formally appoint Mr Topolanek this afternoon, despite admitting that "any agreement on a parliamentary majority appears to be impossible".
The president has accused Mr Paroubek of prolonging the political deadlock.
The Social Democrat leader has in turn accused Mr Klaus of being biased towards right-wing parties insofar as he has refused to give him a chance to form a government.
If Mr Topolanek fails again to win approval for his cabinet, the constitution stipulates that the parliamentary speaker will choose the next one.
However, the current speaker, a Social Democrat, took the post only on condition that he would resign in such an eventuality.
If a third government fails, the president can call early elections within 60 days.
Otherwise, MPs can trigger a new ballot if three-fifths of them support a motion to dissolve parliament.