Prague - The government guarantees, which must be secured if Prague wants to bid for the Olympic Games in 2016, as previously announced, were secured today for the Czech capital's organizing commitee.

Despite the opposition the plan has met from two junior coalition parties - Christian Democrats and Green Party - the Civic Democrat-led government provided the legal guarantees for the Olympics in Prague earlier today.

Fears of a budget drain

The government guarantees were secured thanks to the Mayor of Prague Pavel Bém who managed to talk the government into granting them. Mr. Bém also happens to be a high-ranking party official of the Civic Democratic Party.

"Without the guarantees the chances to win the bid are equal to zero," Tomáš Petera, leader of the organizers' company called Praha Olympijská (Olympic Prague), was quoted saying earlier.

Small town mayors are firmly against the bid. They fear Prague will absorb a great amount of money from the state coffers and the smaller cities and the countryside will lack funds in their budgets.

The official candidate´s questionnaire, which must be supplemented with the government guarantees, is to be submitted to the International Olympic Committee headquarters in Lausanne before January 14.