HN: PM needs regions' support to head ODS

Prague, Oct 16 (CTK) - Any agreement Czech Prime Minister Petr Necas (Civic Democrats, ODS) may reach with the ODS rebellious lawmakers will not keep him at the party head after the party was routed in the recent regional elections since he also needs regions' support, daily Hospodarske noviny (HN) writes yesterday.

Six ODS Chamber of Deputies members press on Necas to make changes to the government-sponsored package of tax changes aimed to stabilise public budgets. They mainly object to raising VAT rates from 14 and 20 to 15 and 21 percent and to a 7 percent "solidarity" tax people with incomes over 100,000 crowns per month are to pay as from next year.

A repeat vote on the package is to be taken in the Chamber of Deputies next week. It is of key importance for the 2013 state budget.

HN writes that regions are now calling on Necas to clearly say how he wants to change his policy and what he wants to do for the party's salvation in the next general election.

The next regular elections are due in 2014.

The ODS won only in one out of 13 regions in the weekend elections while the opposition Social Democrats won in nine, losing four. Two regions went to the Communists (KSCM) and one to the Mayors for the Liberec Region.

The unprecedented success of the Communists, who have also gained more seats in the assemblies in other regions than in the past, has caused a big embarrassment in the country.

HN writes that Necas disappointed regional politicians who were waiting for his assessment of the election debacle. They expected him to say what the ODS should do to prevent such a bad result in the future.

Instead of self-reflection, Necas only thanked voters and the outgoing regional politicians and senators after Tuesday'sś meeting of the ODS executive council.

"Neither me nor my colleagues renounce responsibility. The chairman is responsible for everything that is happening in the ODS. But I repeat that our mandate derives mainly from the result of the general election," Necas said, trying to moderate his words at the weekend when he indirectly blamed the election defeat on regional officials..

"Now certain changes will naturally be made, programme accents will also be made. We must also reflect that the (government) coalition ground plan has diminished," Necas said without elaborating, HN writes.

It says he has not satisfied the regions with this and it can cost him the ODS chairmanship at the congress to be held in three weeks.

"He should again look at the tax issues, and also focus on our national interests in relation to the EU and adopt a sort of crisis government scenario for the next two years that would become a starting point for the ODS's favourable result in the 2014 (general) election," HN quotes Libor Lukas, ODS Zlin Region chairman, one of Necas's greatest allies in the ODS, as saying.

The most important is that Necas should be capable of better talking to the membership, representatives of all regions agree, HN writes.

"It should be said that some problems that the ODS has could have been averted if the chairman's stands were different. He must know that his communication inside the party is not entirely ideal," HN quotes Jan Kubata, ODS head in the Usti Region, as saying.

Regions also criticise Necas for that he convoked the party's congress a mere three weeks after the elections. They say the party does not have time and peace to find new personalities interested in posts in the leadership.

Besides, the party is busy preparing for the second round of the Senate elections to be held on October 19-20.