Prague, Sept 12 (CTK) – Finance Minister Andrej Babis’s ANO movement is ready to rule in regions with Communists (KSCM) after the forthcoming regional election, but not to form a national government, Babis told yesterday’s s issue of daily Pravo reacting to KSCM head Vojtech Filip’s words on Czech Television on Sunday.
The regional elections are to be held on October 7-8.
Filip said in the Questions of Valav Moravec on Czech Television (CT) on Sunday that the Communists were ready to agree with everyone who wanted to work to the benefit of people, Pravo writes.
“ANO is a political movement with high poll ratings in some regions. This is why we are naturally ready to cooperate on what is in people’s interest,” Filip told CT.
“We create agreements on the level of municipalities, now it will be the regions, with those who want to work on an honest administration for the Czech Republic,” he added.
Babis reacted positively to Filip’s words, Pravo writes.
“I will negotiate with everyone who does not steal and does not tell lies,” Babis told Pravo.
Babis said he could not see anything wrong in the pacts with Communists, too.
“In most regions, there are coalitions of the Social Democrats (CSSD) with the Communists. Once in the past, TOP 09 leader Miroslav Kalousek was ready to form a government along with [former Social Democrat leader] Jiri Paroubek supported by the Communists,” he added.
“Are Communists a banned party? If there is any problem with them, they ought to have been abolished [which has never happened],” Babis said.
In some towns and villages, ANO is already cooperating with the Communists. Due to this, it should be no problem to collaborate with them on a higher level, Pravo writes.
Babis said the Communists were still elected by some 13 percent of Czechs.
“Are they not citizens of this country?” he added.
“I will certainly not form any coalition with the KSCM on the governmental level,” Babis said.
“However, if we are in the regions with a chance of forming a coalition with decent people, we will form it,” he added.
“Decent people are in all parties, but unfortunately they are not where they should be,” Babis said.
Four years ago, the Communists finished third in all regions. Due to this, it was very difficult to create regional coalitions without them, Pravo writes.
Now they rule along with the Social Democrats in eight regions. In the Usti Region, the Communists have their regional governor, Oldrich Bubenicek, it adds.
According to the latest polls, ANO has the biggest election potential for the forthcoming regional elections, being likely to win in nine out of the 13 regions contested.
The Social Democrats , now ruling in most regions, are only outstripping the rest of the parties in the South Bohemia and Vysocina regions.
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