Prague - Many may disagree, but I consider the Social Democrats' decision to oppose the lower house's dissolution correct and responsible. There might be various reasons why the ČSSD changed its stance on dissolving the lower house, but I believe that the decision could help calm down the situation, and, furthermore, chances have increased that next year's budget will get passed and that the country will not face a constitutional crisis.

I must admit that I did not quite understand the bizarre insistence of all parties in the lower house, except for the Greens, to hold elections in autumn.

The politicians must have known that the next proper elections could not be held in autumn anyways given the state budget negotiations. The only argument in favour of the early elections that could discern is that the current lower house is dysfunctional and that it is in the public interest to dissolve it.

I also take part in public affairs, but I had no interest in the early elections. Those who are familiar with parliamentary procedures know well that the October elections would have jeopardised the budget approval at the end of the year and November elections would have excluded the approval entirely.

It is the primary public interest to avoid a provisional budget and a potential constitutional crisis. Nobody seems to realise that, under such a budget, it would likely be impossible to co-finance projects with EU funds, distribution of subsidies to nongovernmental organisations would get more difficult, and the Third Sector would suffer fatal damages.

The dissolution of the lower house could have resulted in a real political crisis. Imagine that the lower house is dissolved and the Constitutional Court rules that it is not possible to hold the elections in November taking into consideration the law approved on 11 September.

Legislative power would likely be handed on to the Senate until the proper elections. But there are strings attached. Article 33 of the constitution says:

"If the Chamber of Deputies is dissolved, the Senate shall be responsible for adopting legislative measures in matters that cannot be postponed and that would otherwise require the adoption of a law. The Senate, however, cannot adopt legislative measures on matters of the constitution, the state budget, the state's annual account, the election law or international agreements, according to Article 10.

A legislative measure by the Senate must be approved by the Chamber of Deputies in its first session."
 It is hard to imagine the lower house approving Senate legislative measures half a year later. It would probably lead to uncertainty in all aspects.

For the aforementioned reasons, I think that the ČSSD made the right decision. It is the responsibility of politicians from all parliamentary parties to fulfil their mandates and negotiate such compromises that would enable us to have a balanced budget and the necessary laws that need to be approved. We have the government. The responsibility is now in the deputies' hands.

Václav Krása is head of the Czech National Disability Council.