PRAGUE, Czech Republic, March 2 (UPI) -- The fate of the Czech Republic's Social Democratic-led government hung in the balance Wednesday after a junior partner called for the premier to resign.
Miroslav Kalousek, chairman of the Christian Democrats, one of two junior partners, was quoted by Czech Television as saying Prime Minister Stanislav Gross must step down over a scandal surrounding the financing of his luxury apartment.
"In any civilized country any member of the government would have long ago resigned," he said. "I will attempt to convince my coalition partners that the Czech Republic is a civilized country."
Kalousek spoke before entering crisis talks with the Social Democrats and the other party in the coalition government, the neo-liberal Freedom Union.
The Christian Democrats say they do not want to bring down the government but merely want the Social Democrats to choose a new leader.
Analysts, however, say the overthrow of Gross could set in motion a train of events that would cause the government to collapse in any case.
