Prague, Oct 26 (CTK) – Andrej Babis, whose ANO movement clearly won the Czech general election five days ago, should show he can find a majority support for his government or give up the effort so that a different plan can be followed, Civic Democrat (ODS) leader Petr Fiala told CTK on Thursday.
“The ANO movement wants to form the government. Andrej Babis told us before the election that the best possible solution would be a one-colour government. He said he would arrange all and do everything. It is up to him now,” Fiala said.
ANO has gained 78 MPs in the 200-seat Chamber of Deputies, followed by the ODS with 25 seats and the Pirates and Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) with 22 seats each. None of the eight parties that entered parliament along with ANO showed readiness to join a government led by Babis.
If Babis is not able to form a government, he should admit it, Fiala said.
President Milos Zeman said he will assign Babis to negotiate about the formation of a new government next Tuesday.
Fiala said it is premature to speculate whom Zeman would assign if Babis failed to meet the task.
He repeatedly said the ODS is not going to ally with ANO.
The ODS proposed Fiala for the post of the Chamber of Deputies head. ANO proposed its MP Radek Vondracek for this post and the SPD already said it would support him.
Fiala said it seemed important that a representative of the democratic opposition be the head of parliament in a situation where ANO is very strong and the extremist SPD and Communists (KSCM) are present in the Chamber.
Such a chairman could guarantee that the parliament would fulfil all its functions including the controlling role, he said.
Fiala said this seems crucial to him with regard to the disdainful stance Babis had on the parliament.
Babis suggested previously that the Senate be abolished and the number of seats in the Chamber reduced to 101.
Fiala said the ODS would not be bargaining to get the post of lower house chairman. “It is our suggestion and offer and we’ll see what stances the other parties will take on it. We really do not consider it good to accumulate too much power in the hands of one party in the present political situation,” he said.
