Czech voters will elect a new parliament on May 28 and 29, which will form a new government to replace a caretaker cabinet that has ruled for more than a year, DPA reported.

President Vaclav Klaus announced the election date on Friday.

Prime Minister Jan Fischer's interim government took over on May 8, 2009, after a three-party centre-right coalition of ex-premier Mirek Topolanek was ousted from power halfway through the country's presidency of the European Union.

Fischer's cabinet, which enjoys high popularity but lacks strong backing in the parliament, had been initially slated to govern until a snap poll in October, which was scrapped by the country's top court.

On May 28-29, Czechs are set to select 200 lawmakers for the parliament's lower house.

According to the latest opinion polls, the Social Democrats of ex-premier Jiri Paroubek are in the lead, trailed by their chief rivals, Topolanek's centre-right Civic Democrats.

The economy is expected to dominate the election campaign, as the leading Czech parties chiefly squabble over ways how to lead the country out of the economic crisis and tame a sprawling budget gap.

Central Europe faces an election spree this spring. The Hungarian general election is set for April 11, while Slovaks are to go to the polls on June 12.