Officials Dismiss Calls For Resignations

The country’s prime minister and Parliament speaker shrugged off one of the largest street protests since the fall of communism 10 years ago, saying they would not resign despite demonstrators’ demands to do so. Czech Premier Milos Zeman told the Mlada Fronta Dnes daily that “no demonstration, however large,” can change the fact that the country’s government was freely elected. Parliament Speaker Vaclav Klaus said Friday’s protests were an attempt to destabilize the political situation. Criticizing the nation’s economic malaise, tens of thousands of people protested across the country.