Poll: Social Democrats take lead

Prague, Sept 20 (CTK) - The opposition Czech Social Democrats (CSSD) would win the elections to the Chamber of Deputies if they were held now with 31.5 percent of votes, according to a poll conducted by the CVVM polling agency earlier in September and released yesterday.

The second place would go to the Communists (KSCM) with 21 percent and the third to the Civic Democratic Party (ODS, senior coalition government member) with 20.5 percent of votes.

The five-percent barrier to enter the Chamber of Deputies would also be crossed by the government conservative TOP 09 with 8.5 percent and extra-parliamentary Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL) with 6 percent.

Some 3 percent of Czechs prefer presidential candidate Milos Zeman's Party of Citizens' Rights (SPOZ) and 1.5 percent the Greens.

The Social Democrats' popularity fell from the 36.5 percent in May to 31 percent in June and increased by half a percentage point in September.

The poll ratings of the Communists have steadily been at around 21 percent, while those of the ODS have increased from 17 percent in May to the current 21 percent.

In May, TOP 09 was popular with 10.5 percent and the KDU-CSL with 5.5 percent of Czechs.

The voter turnout would be now about 57 percent. Of them, 28 percent said they would certainly come to the polling stations, while 29 percent said they would rather do so.

On the other hand, 29 percent of Czechs are determined not to vote and 10 percent said they would rather not do so. Some 7 percent have not made up their mind.

The poll was conducted on a sample of 1,036 Czechs between September 3 and 10.