Opposition party wins parliamentary elections, reax

(4 Jun 2006)
1. Mirek Topolanek, President of the Czech Civic Democratic Party (ODS) arriving at election night headquarters
2. Pan of Mirek Topolanek at election night headquarters
3. Cutaway media
4. Close up Mirek Topolanek
5. Cutaway media
6. SOUNDBITE: (English) Mirek Topolanek, President of the Czech Civic Democratic Party:
"We have to wait for results, complete results of our elections. We won these elections, but I think our satisfaction depends on complete results, if we will be able to create a non-left government or not."
7. Various of ODS supporters at election night headquarters watching election results
8. SOUNDBITE: (Czech) Jiri Paroubek, Czech Prime Minister:
"Based on the election results the Civil Democratic party won this election, and one would expect from me as President of the second strongest party in the country to recognise this result and to shake hands with the winner. However, I am not going to do so. The Socialist party and myself personally are victims of enormous pressure and a media conspiracy organised by the ODS. Therefore, I will ask the Supreme Court to invalidate these elections, the law allows this procedure and it will take ten days."
9. Various ODS supporters at election night headquarters watching election coverage.
STORYLINE:
Preliminary results in the Czech parliamentary elections showed the opposition centre-right Civic Democratic Party (ODS) finished first, with 35.37-percent, after campaigning on a platform of economic reform, officials reported on Saturday.
But Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek refused to concede defeat and said he may challenge the result, which put his Social Democratic Party in second with 32.32-percent.
Paroubek accused the opposition of unfair campaigning tactics, and said he would consider asking the country's supreme court to invalidate the results.
Addressing his party supporters, Paroubek said: "The Socialist party and myself personally are victims of enormous pressure and a media conspiracy organised by the ODS."
"I will ask the Supreme Court to cancel these elections, the law allows this procedure and it will take ten days" he went on.
Because the conservative party did not win an outright majority, it would need to form a coalition government.
President Vaclav Klaus said he would start talks with the Civic Democrats on Monday about putting together a new government.
Victorious ODS party president Mirek Topolanek said: "We won these elections, but I think our satisfaction depends on complete results, if we will be able to create a non left government or not."
The election campaign leading up to the Friday and Saturday voting had been bitter, with Topolanek's party exchanging insults and allegations with the Social Democrats.
Paroubek on Saturday issued a statement broadcast on Czech TV that accused some media of having sided with the Civic Democratic Party during the campaign.
The official preliminary result based on ballots from 99.97 percent of voting stations showed three other parties clearing the 5-percent threshold needed to win representation in the parliament's 200-seat lower chamber, according to the state statistical office.
The Communist Party received 12.81-percent, the Christian Democratic Party had 7.22-percent, and the Green Party had 6.29-percent.
Topolanek has ruled out forming a coalition with either the Social Democrats or the Communists, and suggested he might seek to team up with the centre-right Christian Democrats, who are in Paroubek's current coalition.
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