The ultra-right Republicans, who have been in every parliament since the fall of communism, were booted out, failing to win enough votes to secure seats.Parties must win five percent of the vote to take seats in the 200-seat lower house of parliament.

The election was called two years ahead of schedule in response to the collapse of the centre-right coalition government last November over a funding scandal in Mr Klaus's ODS party.

Sladek's Republican Party emerged shortly after the 1989 revolution, and has aways been on opposition benches. Although they gathered enough support to sit in parliament they are generally shunned for fuelling racism and xenophobia. President Havel has consistently refused to meet with its representatives for this very reason. Recently the party has been torn by inner conflict, with members accusing Sladek of dictatorial practices.