Prague, April 12 (CTK) – Leo Luzar, a candidate for the chairman of Czech Communists (KSCM) and a deputy for the Moravia-Silesia Region, anticipates the party’s congress next Saturday to bring about a radical personnel change of the current leadership, he said in an interview with CTK on Thursday.
Luzar believes that the concept of cooperation of two opinion streams represented by the current KSCM chairman Vojtech Filip on the one hand, and by the more radical Josef Skala on the other, which arose from the last KSCM congress, did not prove successful.
“These people were not able to find common ground and we cannot hope that things will be put together on their own,” he said.
The congress should produce a signal of a clear KSCM leader, who will have responsibility and the possibility to entrust people whom he/she trusts with tasks.
From this viewpoint, MEP Katerina Konecna is Luzar’s favourite. He sees her as the new face of KSCM’s politics.
“She is a young energetic woman who introduces the experience from the domestic political scene. She is communicative, she has modern, unorthodox views based in our ideas. She never turned away from our programme. I see this as a perspective for this party,” Luzar said.
Luzar announced his candidacy yet before he knew who else would be running for the post. He said he would decide on further steps after he has read the candidates’ visions and heard their views.
“If I see a better candidate, perceiving them as a greater benefit to the party, I am not opposed to this,” Luzar commented on the possibility of supporting Konecna.
Luzar said he thought new faces in KSCM’s leadership would help the party attract voters before the Czech local elections due this autumn.
He said he promoted KSCM’s support of the ANO minority cabinet of Prime Minister Andrej Babis along with Social Democarts (CSSD). This option was realistic even after the CSSD refused to directly participate in the new cabinet, he noted.
“Everyone feels that early elections would not solve anything and those who dominate should start showing how far they are able to implement their politics. Be it in the left, in the right, everyone is waiting for the errors of Andrej Babis, promises, which he will not be able to fulfil. All political parties are interested in Andrej Babis’ rule,” Luzar said.
A direct involvement of the KSCM in the cabinet would be too risky, moreover, it was not offered this, he said.
Commenting on the anti-EU Freedom and Direct Democracy (SDP) movement of Tomio Okamura, Luzar said it was too recent and cooperation with it would make Babis’ position in Europe more difficult, as well as the pursuit of ANO’s election programme.
Moreover, some of the SPD members’ statements are beyond the edge of political culture, Luzar said, referring to their generally criticised statements denying the facts of the WWII Roma concentration camp in Lety, south Bohemia.
While the KSCM is generally perceived as a very good historical brand in Europe, with which cooperation is possible, the SPD has its stigma, Luzar said.
