Chairman of Social Democratic party, Bohuslav Sobotka, answers questions to media after casting his vote during early elections in Slavkov u Brna, Czech Republic, Friday, Oct. 25, 2013. Czech Republic holds the elections Oct. 25-26. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
PRAGUE (AP) — Voters in the Czech Republic are casting ballots on the second and final day of early parliamentary elections Saturday with the leftist opposition expected to win the strongest support.
The snap ballot was called to end the political crisis triggered by June’s collapse of the center-right coalition of Prime Minister Petr Necas in a whirlwind of allegations about corruption and marital infidelity.
Polls suggest that voters, tired of corruption and austerity, will give the strongest backing to the Social Democrats, which have suggested they plan to create a minority government with tacit support from the hard-line Communist Party.
Parliament’s lower house dominates the legislative process, and the leader of its strongest party is generally asked to try to form a new government.
