STAN leader Rakušan fails in first round of vote for Chamber deputy speaker

Opposition STAN (Mayors and Independents) leader Vít Rakušan was not elected deputy speaker of the Chamber of Deputies in Friday's first round of the secret vote. Rakušan needed at least 92 votes to be elected but received 83, the Chair of the Parliamentary Electoral Commission, Marting Kolovratník (ANO), announced. One of the four deputy speaker positions in the Czech Lower House therefore remains unfilled. Rakušan, the former interior minister, remains the sole candidate and will take part in the second round, which could be held on Wednesday, January 28.