Social Democrat leadership approves election manifesto, list of candidates

The leadership of the Social Democrat Party approved the party’s manifesto ahead of early elections, to be held in the Czech Republic this October. At a meeting of the party leadership on Friday, senior Social Democrats also approved the list of candidates for this autumn’s early elections, party leader Jiří Paroubek said afterwards on Friday evening. Fifth on the party’s list of candidates is former rebel Green MP Olga Zubová, who voted against her party to topple the government in March, paving the way for this autumn’s early elections. In second place on the party’s list of candidates is the controversial Governor of Central Bohemia, David Rath, who some in the party had hoped would not run for Parliament.