John defends post of Public Affairs party chairman

Prague, June 20 (CTK) - Radek John, 57, has defended the post of the former Czech junior government Public Affairs (VV) chairman, receiving 42 percent from the VV's registered supporters in an Internet vote, the party announced on its website Wednesday.

VV deputy chairwoman Katerina Klasnova, 34, finished second with 40 percent of the vote.

John and his team of deputy chairpersons must yet be confirmed by the VV national conference to be held in Znojmo, south Moravia, on Saturday.

Only some 800 out of about 6000 registered supporters who were authorised to elect the VV's leader took part in the direct election on the Internet.

"I am glad that along with Katerina Klasnova we have received a strong mandate of over 80 percent of voters and I believe that my natural successor is growing in her," John said after his re-election.

Klasnova appreciated the strong support. She said she would like to play an active role in John's team.

Each of the candidates for the VV head released the names of the potential closest aides on the Internet.

John has selected Klasnova, Jana Drastichova, Tomas Jarolim, Jiri Kohout and Petr Skokan as deputy chairpersons.

John, journalist by profession headed the VV before the party entered the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of parliament, for the first time in the mid-2010 elections.

As a popular personality he helped attract supporters to the VV. However, his critics later pointed out that he was rather harming the party's preferences by some of his steps.

The VV is now trying to stabilise after the departure of deputy PM Karolina Peake and other politicians from the party.

The VV formed the centre-right government coalition along with the Civic Democrats (ODS) and TOP 09 after the 2010 elections.

In the spring, the VV's internal disputes resulted in the party's split and its departure from the government.

The platform around Peake, which established a new party called LIDEM, replaced the VV in the coalition government and the VV left for opposition.

According to the latest polls, the VV would not cross the 5-percent parliamentary threshold now.