Prague - The Czech Republic's parliament is unlikely to ratify the European Union's reform treaty before the country assumes the EU rotating presidency on January 1, Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek said Sunday.

Speaking in a television interview, Topolanek said there was not enough time left for the vote and that the eurosceptic lawmakers for his senior ruling Civic Democratic Party could reject the Lisbon Treaty amid the party's internal squabbles.

The Czech Republic is the last member state to vote on the accord, which has been stalled since Irish voters rejected it in a June referendum.

The country's Constitutional Court ruled elements of the treaty in line with Czech law on November 26, opening the door to its ratification in the Czech parliament.

Topolanek's junior governing partners, the Greens and Christian Democrats, and the opposition Social Democrats have plans to call an extraordinary lower house session on the charter in December.

"If that session takes place I fear the worst," Topolanek said on Prima TV, adding that "the Lisbon Treaty could be rejected by the lower house" amid tensions within his party.

Analysts have however said the pact, designed to streamline decision-making in the 27-member bloc, should have sufficient support in the parliament's lower house.

"It should not be such a problem," said political scientist Tomas Lebeda. "The Lisbon Treaty is likely to have a bigger problem in the Senate rather than in the lower house."

The premier, who unenthusiastically supports the EU's reform pact, faces hurdles over the Lisbon Treaty in his party that has a eurosceptic wing, backed by party founder President Vaclav Klaus.

Topolanek hopes to rally support for the pact at a party congress on December 6 which is expected to re-elect him the party leader.

"The Lisbon Treaty perhaps has a green light but it does not have the blue one," Topolanek told Prima TV referring to his right-wing party's signature colour.

The treaty however faces further hurdles in the Czech Republic as the court's ruling allows for new complaints at a later stage of the ratification process.

President Vaclav Klaus' aide Ladislav Jakl told Czech television on Sunday that he would advise the president, an outspoken critic of the treaty and European integration, to file a complaint.

Klaus has also said he would not sign the accord before Ireland reverses its rejection. dpa