Sobotka elected head of Social Democrats’ deputies’ club

The opposition Social Democrats voted for Bohuslav Sobotka to head the party’s group of deputies on Tuesday. Mr Sobotka will replace the outgoing Michal Hašek as the club’s head on January 1. Mr Hašek handed in his resignation after being elected governor of South Moravia following recent regional elections. Bohuslav Sobotka is the former finance minister and is currently head of the lower house’s budget committee. He said that his main aim in his new role would be to help the Social Democrats win the next general elections in 2010.