Czech parties close to election results, poll shows

PRAGUE, Sept 18 (Reuters) - Support for the Czech right-wing Civic Democrats dropped from last month's peak and the popularity of all parties stands very close to their results in June's inconclusive election, a survey showed on Monday.

A minority right-wing government of the Civic Democrats, who won the most votes in the June election but not a majority, was appointed earlier this month but seems set to lose a confidence vote due by Oct. 4.

Analysts say an early election is a likely outcome of the new EU member country's political crisis.

The survey of 962 Czechs by private Factum Invenio agency conducted between Sept. 7-13 showed the Civic Democrats would win 36.3 percent of the vote, 0.9 percentage points above their election result, but down from a peak of 41 percent last month.

The main left-wing party, the Social Democrats, would win 32 percent, 0.3 points less than in the June election.

The election gave a coalition of the Civic Democrats, the centrist Christian Democrats and the Greens 100 seats in the 200-seat lower house, with the other 100 going to the Social Democrats and the far-left Communists.

The new poll would give the centre-right grouping 104 seats and thus a majority. However, Factum Invenio said that the margin of error was 2 seats for each party.

The Civic Democrats have said they want to hold an election next year -- the next scheduled vote is for spring 2010 -- but it does not have enough backing for the plan. Unless politicians agree, three attempts to form a government must be held before the president can call early polls. ((Reporting by Jan Lopatka, editing by Sami Aboudi; prague.newsroom@reuters.com; Reuters Messaging: jan.lopatka.reuters.com@reuters.net; +420-224 190 474))

Keywords: CZECH POLITICS