Šlajs elected Plzeň governor despite protests over communist past

Councillors in the Plzeň Region have elected Václav Šlajs of the Social Democrats governor. The position became vacant when his party colleague Milan Chovanec was chosen to become minister of the interior in the new Czech government. Around 2,800 people signed a petition objecting to Mr. Šlajs’s nomination on the grounds that the 61-year-old was a member of the Communist Party and an army officer before 1989 and dozens of people protested during Monday’s regional council session. Mr. Chovanec said his successor, who joined the Social Democrats in 1993, should be judged on his achievements.