Prague, Nov 10 (CTK) – Czech Finance Minister and ANO chairman Andrej Babis is changing tactic one year ahead of the regional election and he wants to push through people close to the movement with whom it has some experience instead of celebrities to the head of the lists of candidates, Pravo writes yesterday.
That is why Babis considers fielding the expert deputies to the interior and regional development ministers, Jana Vildumetzova and Klara Dostalova, respectively, Pravo writes.
According to the civil service law, expert deputy ministers are not allowed to hold any party posts, but they can run in elections, Pravo writes.
It writes that the senior government Social Democrats (CSSD) do not like Babis´s intentions.
“I believe that one of the purposes of the civil service law is to distinguish between politicians and clerks. That is why it would not be fortunate if expert deputy ministers were running at the top of lists of candidates,” Roman Sklenak, CSSD deputy group chairman, told Pravo.
Pravo writes that according to its information, the regional elections and the question of whether expert deputy ministers will be able to run in them were also discussed by the government coalition council last week.
The government parties did not draw any conclusion though the CSSD and the junior Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL) share the opinion that the candidature of the deputy ministers is not suitable, Pravo writes.
Babis´s decision is motivated by a lack of people. His offers to run in the regional election has been turned down by several businesspeople, including Student Agency owner Radim Jancura, senator for ANO and Juta firm owner Jiri Hlavaty and Koh-i-noor owner Vlastislav Briza, Pravo writes.
ANO is currently harmed by disputes within the self-rule authorities in several larger towns where some members were expelled from the movement and local cells were abolished, Pravo writes.
This is also one of the reasons why Babis wants to bet on people he knows. He has chosen three Chamber of Deputies members for regional election leaders. They are Radka Maxova in South Bohemia, Margita Balastikova in Zlin Region and Jaroslava Jermanova in Central Bohemia.
Pravo writes that the biggest attraction of ANO for the regional election is Ivo Vondrak, rector of the Technical University of Ostrava who will lead the ANO list of candidates in the Moravia-Silesia Region.
Political scientist Milan Znoj told Pravo that Babis´s decision is based on his experience with distinctive personalities without strong party ties.
“A number of them have turned into unguided missiles with whom it was difficult to coordinate political work. In regard to regions, Babis will look for team rather than individual players,” Znoj said.
The KDU-CSL, which is nationally supported by 6 to 7 percent of voters, would like to have up to three out of the total of the 13 governors who will be elected in a year, Pravo writes.
“We already had governors and I can see no reason why we should not have a governor in one, two or three regions again,” party chairman and Deputy Prime Minister Pavel Belobradek is quoted as saying.
The KDU-CSL has a chance of succeeding mainly in the Moravian Region of Zlin, where the list of candidates will probably be headed by senator and Vsetin Mayor Jiri Cunek, Pravo writes.
The KDU-CSL could also succeed in the South Moravia Region where it is represented in the regional government and which was headed in the past by the senator and current deputy governor Stanislav Juranek, Pravo writes.
