Prague, April 24, SPA --The interim Czech government of Prime Minister Jan Fischer is to assume power on May 8, dpa cited President Vaclav Klaus as saying today. The new government should take the Czech Republic to early pollsin October and finish the country's presidency of the European Union. Klaus and Fischer spoke to reporters after an hour-long meeting inwhich the premier had informed the president about the make-up of hiscaretaker cabinet. Fischer said he would have a complete list ofministers by the end of next week. The outgoing Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek's cabinet is to bereplaced less than two months before the country's EU presidency endson June 30. Topolanek's cabinet, governing as a caretaker since March 26following a defeat in a parliamentary confidence motion two daysearlier, is to quit on the same day as hosting a high-level EUsummit in Prague. The EU meeting is aimed at boosting ties with countries in theCaucasus, Central Asia and possibly the Middle East, which arecrucial to the EU's plans to diversify its energy resources andsupply routes. While government sources said that the summit is scheduled to endby lunchtime, Klaus told reporters that he plans to appoint the newcabinet in the afternoon. Political parties, which made a deal on Fischer's cabinet, wantedKlaus to appoint it on May 9, a day after the summit. The choice ofthe date underscores president's push for a speedy governmentchangeover. "Vaclav Klaus is pretty unhappy that it won't be sooner than May8," political scientist Petr Just, who lectures at the Prague-basedMetropolitan University, told the German Press Agency dpa. "He has demonstrated from the start that the switch should takeplace as soon as possible. He was not moved by arguments related tothe presidency," Just said. Eurosceptic Klaus, who originally only agreed to chair an EUsummit with Russia, appears to have increased his role in the CzechEU presidency. He said on Friday that he will chair a Prague-basedsummit with Japan on May 4. Officials confirmed earlier this week that Klaus is to head an EUsummit with South Korea on May 23 in Seoul. The president also saidin a recent newspaper interview that he "will be" at a planned summitwith China.--SPA www.spa.gov.sa/657700