Civic Democrats to choose Sobotka or Tošenovský as presidential candidate

The Civic Democratic Party has decided on two presidential candidates for party primaries, deputy Senate leader Přemysl Sobotka and former Ostrava mayor Evžen Tošenovský. The candidates will appear at public election assemblies in the party's regional branches at the end of April; the election itself will be held in nine constituencies during May and June. The favourite for the nomination, deputy chairwoman Miroslava Nemcová, said earlier in April she would not contest the post. According to recent polls, the candidates have poor odds in the direct presidential election with less than 3%. Independent former prime minister Jan Fischer currently enjoys the highest support with nearly a third of the electorate behind him, according to a mid-April survey.