"We are convinced the matter cannot be resolved by a mere resignation of Minister Drobil," said Bohuslav Sobotka, acting chairman of the leftist Social Democrats.

Environment Minister Pavel Drobil, from the ruling Civic Democrats, said on Wednesday he would quit after a newspaper accused him of trying to destroy a recording that appeared to implicate him in influence-peddling.

The Social Democrats need 101 votes in the 200-member chamber to topple the centre-right three-party coalition government led by Civic Democrat Petr Necas in the vote, which is scheduled for next Tuesday.

But Necas's cabinet, which named fighting corruption as a top priority when it won power in May's general election, leans on a comfortable majority of 118 lawmakers.

Its image suffered a blow when the DNES daily ran a transcript of Drobil offering a high post at his ministry to an environmental agency official.

Drobil asked the man to destroy another recording in which the minister's secretary said money from tweaked ministerial tenders would be used to finance the Civic Democrats and Drobil's career.

Drobil has rejected any responsibility in the affair.

Necas said on Thursday he could only blame Drobil for "choosing the wrong co-workers".

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