Prague, Sept 5 (CTK) – Finance Minister Andrej Babis’s ANO is having the biggest election potential for the forthcoming regional elections, being likely to win in nine out of the 13 contested regions, according to a poll commissioned by Czech Television (CT) and released on Monday.
The Social Democrats (CSSD), now ruling in most regions, are only outstripping the rest of the parties in the South Bohemia and Vysocina regions.
In south Moravia, both parties’ chances are roughly the same.
In north Bohemia, the local Mayors for the Liberec grouping is most popular now.
The election potential shows how many votes could be gained by a party if it were elected by all the people really considering doing so, while they do not rule out their participation in the election.
It also includes the voters who have not made up their mind, but may choose among several parties. Due to this, the results cannot be considered a real prognosis of the outcome of the vote.
ANO has the biggest election potential in the Plzen Region (up to 35 percent), followed by the Usti Region (up to 34.5 percent), Karlovy Vary (up to 34 percent), Moravia-Silesia (up to 33.5 percent), Olomouc (up to 33 percent), Central Bohemia (up to 32.5 percent), Pardubice (up to 32 percent), Hradec Kralove and Zlin regions (up to 31.5 percent in both).
In the South Moravia Region, ANO is sharing the first place along with the CSSD (both up to 30 percent), which has the second best position in most of other regions.
The election potential of other mainstream parties, the Communists (KSCM), the Civic Democratic Party (ODS), TOP 09 and Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL), is also above the 10 percent level.
The poll was conducted on a sample of 1,200 respondents from each of the regions between August 8 and September 3.
