Czech parliament takes first step toward early polls

Czech lawmakers on Friday approved a constitutional amendment allowing parliament to dissolve itself and pave the way for early polls after the country's top court blocked a snap election.

The Constitutional Court on Thursday said President Vaclav Klaus had no right to announce the election for October 9 and 10 and declared his decision "null and void" along with a law shortening the term of office of the Chamber of Deputies.

The amendment was passed by both houses of parliament -- the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate -- within five hours.

Next it has to be ratified by the president so that new dates for the election can be fixed, probably November 6 and 7.

"We have found a solution to the constitutional crisis. The mandate for the changes approved is strong," said former centre-right prime minister Mirek Topolanek, who was forced to resign in late March after a no-confidence vote in parliament.

He was replaced by Jan Fischer on May 8 who pledged that his non-partisan interim government would not make any "politically controversial" decisions before fresh elections could be held.

The Constitutional Court's ruling followed a complaint from independent parliamentary deputy Milos Melcak, who argued that the president's decision to call early elections violated his right to serve a full four-year term.

Melcak said on Friday he was contemplating filing another constitutional complaint against the new amendment.