Prague, Sept 26: The Centre-Left government of Prime Minister Vladimir Spidla today survived a no-confidence motion filed in the Czech Parliament by the main Opposition party over budget reform plans, officials said. The government, which has a majority of only two seats in the 200-seat legislature, garnered 100 votes against the motion, while the opposition won only 98 in favour.
One deputy from Spidla's social democrat party abstained from voting to express his opposition to the government's reform plans. The conservative Civic Democratic Party (ODS) had decided Tuesday to push for a no-confidence vote, claiming that Spidla's administration "was hurting the country" with too timid reforms.
The motion was also backed by the communist party, although for the opposite reasons. The communists charge that the government's measures would make life harder for lower-paid workers, the unemployed, families with children and pensioners. Spidla has staked the fate of his government, whose four-year term began in 2002, on the reforms. He vowed in June, "If we do not impose these reforms, we would make way for somebody else to take our place." Bureau Report