News site: pressure on Nečas growing within Civic Democrats

Pressure on Prime Minister Nečas is growing within his party, the Civic Democrats, Novinky.cz reported on Saturday. The news website said some members were giving their chairman until a party congress in the autumn to turn around its fortunes or face possible replacement ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for next year. The dominant right-wing force in Czech politics in the last two decades, the Civic Democrats currently lead an unpopular coalition government after garnering 20 percent in the last general elections. A poll this week suggested they would receive 15.6 percent in a vote held now, just ahead of their rivals on the right (and coalition partners) TOP 09 on 14.5 percent. Some mayoral candidates have recently said that they will not run for election under the Civic Democrats’ banner as it would harm their chances.