Prime Minister Vladimir Spidla will continue to rule the country as the head of the coalition party. His cabinet survived Friday's confidence vote, the second in six months.

The proposal made by ODS to remove the cabinet was supported by 58 MPs of the party and by 40 Communists.

100 coalition MPs voted in favour of the current government. Social Democrat Josef Hojdar refrained from voting.

A total of 101 votes was necessary to remove the cabinet.

(PBJ 29.ix.03)