Prague, June 2 (CTK) – Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka has offered a presidential candidacy with support of his Social Democrats (CSSD) to CMKOS umbrella trade union organisation chairman Josef Stredula who he has politely refused it, daily Lidove noviny (LN) writes yesterday.
So far the highest ranking politician who comes from the trade union circles has been Senate chairman Milan Stech (CSSD), who headed the CMKOS in the past.
“I can confirm that my name figures on the list that the CSSD members are sending to the prime minister. I am among the three names that have appeared in the media – Milan Stech, (Foreign Minister) Lubomir Zaoralek and I… This is a great honour to me… However, only he who agrees with the candidacy becomes a candidate and I have not expressed anything like that,” Stredula told LN.
He said he would like to defend his leadership of the CMKOS next April.
Stredula is not a CSSD member and has never been in any political party, CMKOS spokeswoman Jana Kasparova said.
LN writes that the Social Democrats have launched a serious debate about fielding their own presidential candidate in reaction to the behaviour of current President Milos Zeman, former CSSD chairman, who will be defending his presidency at the beginning of next year.
In a dispute about the dismissal of finance minister and deputy PM Andrej Babis, chairman of the ANO movement, Zeman clearly stood up against Sobotka. Zeman thereby annoyed even the Social Democrats who tended to support their former party leader, LN writes.
Sobotka proposed Babis’s dismissal on suspicion of tax evasions and influencing the media. Babis denied any wrongdoing and refused to leave the cabinet, but later he accepted the resignation. President Milos Zeman hesitated to dismiss Babis, but he did it last week eventually.
However, LN writes, as Stredula, 49, rejected the possibility to run for president, the Social Democrats are choosing between Stech, 63, and Zaoralek, 60, while the latter has more advantages.
His rhetorics is more sophisticated and he can better address people at mass rallies as well as participate in highly intellectual debates with leftist theoreticians, LN says.
The CSSD would like to make the final decision on its own presidential candidate to fight Zeman by the October 20-21 general election at the latest, LN adds.
Apart from Zeman, 72, lyricist and businessman Michal Horacek, 64, and former Science Academy chairman Jiri Drahos, 68, have officially announced their presidential candidacies and they are collecting signatures on the respective petitions.
