CSSD leader Jiri Paroubek said the KSCM leadership had shown "colossal incompetence," whereas KSCM leader Vojtech Filip said Paroubek Czech Communists seek three-round presidential election ...
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Possible presidential candidate unknown to half of Czechs ... should "put in order" the deputies' group of his own party. Filip stressed that Vaclav Klaus, nominated by the Civic Democratic Party (ODS), had also been elected thanks to the vote of Evzen Snitily, elected for the Social Democrats. The CSSD criticised the Communists for having nominated MEP Jana Bobosikova to the second presidential election, whereby they weakened the political camp of Svejnar. Bobosikova stepped down before the first round today and the Communists helped Svejnar advance to the second and third rounds. However, as they did not vote for him in the third, decisive round, Svejnar lost to Klaus with a margin of 30 votes. According to a Communist source, Communist lawmakers were even considering voting against Svejnar before the third round as they had voted against Klaus. Paroubek said the Communists behaved "like an hourglass" today. This is their own matter and a matter of the KSCM leadership that is totally incompetent, Paroubek said. "I have to say I was surprised at the colossal incompetence," Paroubek told journalists. Filip dismissed the criticism. Whoever can see, could see that the Communists had not raised their hands for Klaus and their candidate Bobosikova eventually withdrew her candidature, he said. Filip said he did not understand that Paroubek or anyone else had the "arrogance" to lay blame for Klaus's re-election on the Communists. "It is a pure lie," Filip said, adding that Paroubek was only trying to divert attention from problems in his own deputies' group. "If there is the command approach, in a party in particular, it happens that people only obey out of fear," Filip said. Filip said the KSCM had shown it was a united party and its members were able to pursue a concerted strategy, not under any pressure. "We do not need to force anyone into a secret or public vote.
Our unity is simply based on ideas," Filip said. "We are not happy that Klaus, a rightist, was elected, but he was elected regularly. Regularly by the votes of the Social Democrats and the Greens," Pavel Kovacik, leader of the KSCM deputies, said. "Melcak, Pohanka, Snitily, Zubova. These are the names that should be borne in mind," Kovacik said about the three defectors from the Social Democrats, and a Greens deputy who was absent for health grounds today. Further Communists, too, have dismissed any responsibility for Klaus's election. "I refuse it and let (Paroubek) take a look at who voted for Klaus: three deputies elected for the Social Democrats, while the Greens made it easy for him by the absence of Zubova," Communist deputy Vladimir Konicek said. Filip said earlier the cooperation between the Communists and the Social Democrats would continue. The parties need one another if they want to press ahead something, Filip said.
(Ceske Noviny)
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