Prague, Aug 2 (CTK) – Czech President Milos Zeman has criticised the campaign of the Mayors and Independents (STAN) movement before the autumn regional election, which was based on high public support for mayors, though they are running for all parties, Zeman’s spokesman Jiri Ovcacek told reporters yesterday.
STAN, which ran with the right-wing TOP 09 in general elections in the past, is represented in both houses of parliament.
However, Ovcacek called it marginal.
STAN dismissed the criticism.
At the beginning of the summer, STAN displayed unsigned billboards with a question “Who Enjoys Higher Trust than (President ) Milos Zeman?.” Only later, it pasted on them their campaign before the October regional polls in which it presented its candidates and used the main slogan: “Mayors are trusted by 62 percent of people. I trust them, too!”
Ovcacek points out that there are more than 6,000 mayors in the Czech Republic and mayors are on the lists of candidates of all parties, not only STAN.
Moreover, STAN is supported by some 2 percent of voters, which Ovcacek compared to support for the extremists ultra-right Workers’ Party of Social Justice (DSSS).
“Therefore, it is impudence if this marginal party acts in such an unfair way in its election campaign,” Ovcacek added.
STAN rejects the criticism.
“When we claimed responsibility for the billboard campaign on July 11 we said it referred to trust in all mayors, not only ours,” STAN spokesman Karel Kreml told CTK.
STAN thereby wanted to thank for the work of all people who are active in municipal politics, he added.
STAN has the highest number of mayors out of the Czech parties, which is its main advantage, Kreml said.
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