News

The ruling Social Democratic Party is divided over the possible nomination of former Education Minister and university Professor Jan Sokol as the party's candidate for the presidential office. Party leader and Prime Minister Vladimir Spidla asked Mr. Sokol to stand as his party's candidate on Friday. Some other political parties admitted they might support Mr. Sokol. However, the Social Democrat MPs are divided over his nomination. In the previous two unsuccessful election attempts, they were unable to agree on any of the candidates officially nominated by the party leadership. February 28th has been set as the official date for a third round of Czech presidential elections to try and elect a successor to former president Vaclav Havel, whose term in office ended last Sunday.

Social Democrat Prime Minister Vldimir Spidla has asked former education minister and university Professor Jan Sokol to become his party's candidate for the presidential office. Sokol has not rejected the offer and is waiting for the reaction of other political parties. According to the Czech public service television, a junior member in the ruling coalition, the Christian Democrats have expressed support to Mr. Sokol and the opposition Communist party did not rule out their support either. The right-of-centre opposition Civic Democrats have already nominated their former leader Vaclav Klaus as their official candidate. On Friday, the speaker of the Lower House set February 28th as the official date for a third round of Czech presidential elections to try and elect a successor to former president Vaclav Havel, whose term in office ended last Sunday.

The speaker of the Lower House, Lubomir Zaoralek, has set February 28th as the official date for a third round of Czech presidential elections to try and elect a successor to former president Vaclav Havel, who stepped down last Sunday. Midnight, on Tuesday, February 25th, will the final deadline for deputies and senators to submit the names of presidential contenders. At the moment the Social Democrats and the Christian Democrats, two parties in the country's governing coalition, are attempting to come up with a joint candidate, while the opposition Civic Democrats are backing former party chairman Vaclav Klaus. Many observers still say, however, that the chances of quickly finding a successor to former president Vaclav Havel remain low. If parliament fails to elect a president on February 28th, the Czech Republic will remain without a figurehead for several months, before changes in the constitution would lead to a direct presidential vote.

The three parties in the governing coalition remain divided over whether the Czech parliament should attempt to elect a new Czech president for a third time or whether the president should be elected in a popular vote. While representatives of the Freedom Union pushed for a direct vote at Thursday's meeting, the Social Democrats and the Christian Democrats are still hoping to find a common candidate who could gather enough votes in both houses of parliament. The senior coalition partner, the Social Democrats propose the vote should take place within the next thirty days.