Prague, Nov 22 (CTK) – Civic Democrat (ODS) head Petr Fiala, Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) leader Tomio Okamura, Pirate MP Vojtech Pikal, Communist (KSCM) leader Vojtech Filip and Social Democrat (CSSD) MP Jan Hamacek are running for lower house deputy heads, Martin Kolovratnik (ANO) told CTK on Wednesday.
The deadline for nominating candidates for deputy heads of the lower house of the Czech parliament expired this evening. The house will take a secret vote on the deputy heads on Friday. No tough fight is expected since there are five candidates for five posts.
The house made the decision on the number of deputy heads only on Wednesday. Some parties wanted the house to have four deputy heads, like in the previous election period, but their proposal did not win sufficient support.
Earlier on Wednesday, Radek Vondracek (ANO) was elected the lower house chairman. He was the only candidate for the post.
Kolovratnik, head of the lower house electoral commission, said the vote of the deputy heads will have two rounds. If any of the five posts remains vacant after the first round, a second round will be held on Friday.
If all five posts are not occupied even after the second round, a new election will be held next week in which new candidates may be nominated, Kolovratnik said.
In the previous election period, the last of the four posts of lower house deputy heads was filled only in the third vote. In the first vote held at the constituent session four years ago, TOP 09 leader Miroslav Kalousek and Okamura, then leader of the Dawn movement, failed. In the second vote held at the second lower house session, Okamura and Mayors and Independents (STAN) chairman Petr Gazdik failed to win the vacant post. Gazdik was finally elected to the post in the third vote held at the fourth lower house session after Okamura gave up his nomination.
