Brno, South Moravia/Olomouc, North Moravia, Jan 21 (CTK) – The Social Democrat (CSSD) branches in the South Moravia, Vysocina and Olomouc regions approved the nomination of Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka for re-election as party leader Saturday.
The Social Democrat congress in the influential South Moravia Region also approved the nomination of Jeronym Tejc for the post of first deputy chairman of the party.
Tejc is considered an opponent of Sobotka inside the party.
Sobotka himself prefers Interior Minister Milan Chovanec. He said earlier he did not trust Tejc.
The Social Democrat election congress is scheduled for this March.
Neither Sobotka nor Tejc had any challenger in the regional branch.
Tejc said the support of his maternal branch was vital.
“Without the support of Social Democrat members in South Moravia, I could not seek the post of number two in the party,” Tejc has told CTK.
Tejc said the decision would be made by the March congress.
“Both I and Bohuslav Sobotka have respect to the party and its members. If the 750 delegates representing over 20,000 party members decide on the party board, I believe that all of us will respect the result,” Tejc said.
“Sobotka, too, will not question it,” he added.
Sobotka said the party had to be united after the congress.
Saturday, his nomination was also approved at the Vysocina and Olomouc regional congresses.
“The party must speak with one voice. I refuse to divide the party as it is my aim to unite it. I want all the candidates to the party board to do it, too,” Sobotka said.
Sobotka was backed at all previous nine regional conferences.
Chovanec was also supported by most of them.
The candidates for party deputy chairpersons include Labour and Social Affairs Minister Michaela Marksova, Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaorale, Deputy Health Minister Lenka Teska Arnostova, the Chamber of Deputies chairman Jan Hamacek, the party’s election manager Jan Birke, the deputy chairman for financial affairs Martin Starec, Prague Deputy Mayor Petr Dolinek as well as Tejc and the Chamber of Deputies member Jaroslav Foldyna.
Since Finance Minister Andrej Babis’ ANO, a member of the three-party coalition government also comprising Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL), has had a comfortable lead in the latest polls, the pressure on Sobotka is mounting in the party.
