Daily: Zahradil could run for party leader post

The daily Právo has reported that Czech Member of the European Parliament Jan Zahradil may run for the post of leader of the Civic Democratic Party at the party’s December congress. He told the daily he might aim to lead the party for an interim period of one year, saying such a move depended on how two blocs within the ruling party clashed in December. One faction may back current leader Mirek Topolánek, another, his challenger Pavel Bém. Mr Zahradil said he would consider such a clash “unfortunate” and made clear his decision to run would be an effort to re-unite his party. The MEP is known for having close ties to the country’s president, Václav Klaus, founder of the Civic Democratic Party. By comparison, the president’s relationship with current chairman Mirek Topolánek is known to be rocky.