New ODS faction allegedly has hundreds of members

Prague, Feb 18 (CTK) - The new faction in the Czech senior government Civic Democratic Party (ODS), established by the former head of a Prague ODS district organisation, Jiri Janecek, allegedly has hundreds of members, Janecek told CTK Monday adding that he wants to found branches in individual regions.

To be able to fully devote himself to the faction, he resigned as head of the Prague district organisation as from Monday, he said.

Some ODS members have dissociated themselves from Janecek's initiative, saying the faction will weaken the party.

Miroslava Nemcova, ODS deputy chairwoman, said recently it is possible to have discussions on various levels, and it is not necessary to create any new factions.

Janecek says his faction called the Right Faction should be an instrument of communication within the party and a platform for party members to speak about different opinions instead of telling them to the media.

The faction should be based on the Podebrady articles that the party approved in Podebrady, central Bohemia, in 1998 and that are one of the party's programme documents.

The document was approved after the 1997 crisis caused by dubious party funding that led to the fall of then ODS-led government and resulted in the departure of some members who formed the Freedom Union (US).

"After a week-long registration, I am very much pleased with how many really right-oriented ODS members support this idea and want to take active part and help the ODS," Janecek said.

He said he would like to create a right-oriented programme that would help the ODS win the general election scheduled for next year.

The ODS's voter preferences have plummeted to record low since the mid-2010 general election. The party has lost six elections, including the recent direct presidential one, since then.