PRAGUE The Czech Republic's four main political parties agreed on the need for early elections, to be held in the first half of the year, parliamentary speaker Milos Zeman said. The heads of the Civic Democratic Party (ODS), Czech Social Democratic Party (CSSD), Czech Christian Democratic Party (KDU-CSL), and the Czech Communist Party (KSCM) agreed on the need for elections at talks Sunday, Zeman said.

Only the small Civic Democratic Alliance (ODA) disagreed, Zeman said. The party leaders failed to agree on the method for calling the early elections but agreed to more talks. They are due to meet President Vaclav Havel on January 22 for a decision. The current Parliament would normally run until the year 2000 but early elections are favored following the collapse of the last government headed by the ODS. Representatives of the far-right Czech Republican Party (SPR-RSC) left the meeting in protest at the arrest of party leader Miroslav Sladek, detained in connection with allegations of incitement to racial hatred.

Sladek, 47, was placed in custody after being picked up as he left Parliament last Tuesday. His parliamentary immunity was lifted last February. (AFP)