New party formed in Czech Republic

Disaffected members of the former governing Civic Democratic Party in the Czech Republic have formed their own party -- the Freedom Union.

It is made up of nearly two-hundred-and-fifty former members of the Civic Democrats -- the ODS -- who left in protest at the leadership of the former Prime Minister, Vaclav Klaus.

The former Interior Minister, Jan Ruml, who is one of the new party's leaders, said the Freedom Union was close to the ODS, but it was prepared to acknowledge what he called mistakes made by the right-wing.

A caretaker government is currently in place until Czech elections are held in June.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service