Zvikovske Podhradi, South Bohemia, June 14 (CTK) – The prepared division of functions at the helm of the senior government Social Democratic Party (CSSD) is a reasonable solution, President Milos Zeman indicated at a press conference at the end of his visit to the South Bohemia Region on Wednesday.
The media has reported that due to the CSSD’s plummeting preferences, Bohuslav Sobotka might remain prime minister, but current CSSD first deputy head and Interior Minister Milan Chovanec would replace him as the party’s head and Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaoralek would become the leader for the October general election
“In my opinion, the prepared solution, which is no secret as media has been been writing about it, could be a reasonable step, but I do not consider it suitable to comment on how the CSSD would solve its internal problems,” Zeman said.
Zeman, former CSSD chairman and ex-PM, refused to say who should lead the CSSD instead of Sobotka. He said he was not sure whether he had the right to give advice to the party.
However, delaying the decision supports the speculations saying Sobotka would like to keep all three posts, he said.
The CSSD board met yesterday to deal with the situation at the party’s helm.
Zeman also expressed support for the effort of the CSSD’s South Bohemia branch to return its head Jiri Zimola, one of Sobotka’ major rivals in the party, to the list of candidates for the October general election.
Zimola had to resign from the post of the South Bohemia regional governor in April after nine years in office due to his unclear property situation and high bonuses for the management of a public hospital. He pleads innocent in the case.
In May, the CSSD leadership deleted Zimola from the party’s list of election candidates in South Bohemia. In protest, several other CSSD politicians from the region withdrew their candidacies.
Sobotka argued that the cases connected with Zimola might harm the party in the election campaign.
However, the South Bohemia branch wants to reopen the Zimola issue at the talks with the CSSD leadership in Prague on Saturday.
Zeman said at a press conference on Wednesday that the stance of the CSSD’s South Bohemian regional committee enjoyed his full support.
