Prague, Nov 23 (CTK) – Petr Mach, 40, was re-elected leader of the Czech extra-parliamentary Free Citizens Party (SSO) with two-thirds of the votes in an online vote yesterday, he has told journalists.
Mach has chaired the party since its formation in 2009.
Mach was challenged by Roman Kriz, Petr Hampl and Miloslav Bednar. Kriz received 15.6 percent out of the 574 votes, Hampl 13.1 percent and Bednar 5.6.
Mach obtained 65.7 percent. He will chair the party for another two years. The next elections to the Chamber of Deputies will be held in 2017.
Mach told journalists that immediately after the vote ended, Hampl had said he was leaving the party.
The four posts of deputy chairpersons will be contested between November 29 and December 6.
Mach said yesterday he would like the SSO to contest the regional elections next year along with the Businesspeople Party, another extra-parliamentary party.
The openly Eurosceptic SSO gained 2.5 percent of the vote in the 2013 general election, but Mach was elected an MEP last year.
The SSO is a member of the Alliance for Direct Democracy in Europe (ADDE) in the European Parliament.
When it comes to the party programme, Mach believes that only economic liberalism will ensure the Czech Republic’s well-being and security.
In the economic sphere, Mach has proposed a single 15 percent VAT, the cancellation of the VAT on food and the balanced budget law.
As far as security is concerned, the government should dispute in court the EU decision on mandatory redistribution of refugees, Mach said.
If it turns out that the countries on the border of the Schengen system are unable to defend it, the Czech Republic should defend its own border, he added.
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