Prague, June 26 (CTK) – The board of the opposition Civic Democratic Party (ODS) approved the manifesto and list of candidates for the October general election in the Czech Republic today, party leader Petr Fiala has told journalists.
Fiala said the ODS was entering the election with the aim of defending freedom and democracy as these values were jeopardised.
The ODS board confirmed the lists of candidates nominated by the individual regional organisations before.
In all, the lists of candidates will present 300 people, 40 of whom were nominated by the Freeholders Party.
Fiala, who is the election leader in the South Moravia Region, said a number of independents would also run for the ODS.
The ODS already unveiled its manifesto in April. It is based on reduction of taxes, growth in salaries, enhanced security and plans in the social sphere.
“We are convinced that the current economic growth must not be wasted or squandered, but that we have to invest in a better future,” Fiala said.
“We want to defend freedom, we want to defend democracy in this country since we feel that these substantial affairs are threatened here now. We want to stop this threat,” Fiala said, adding that the ODS wants to stop the government of the Social Democrats CSSD, ANO and Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL) that had considerably harmed the nation.
He said the party was against ANO, headed by food and media mogul Andrej Babis, which has a considerablelead in the polls.
“We want to prevent a one-colour government of the former finance minister, we want to prevent a government including Communists from being formed,” Fiala said.
He said the party also wanted to fight Babis in the sphere of manifesto.
“All those questioning the manifesto, replacing it with marketing tricks, donuts and similar things cannot succeed in the long run,” Fiala said in a veiled reference to Babis distributing donuts to the crowd during his election campaigns.
“It is the sense of democratic policy to offer a quality programme, to gain support for it and then to realise it,” Fiala said.
