Prague, July 27 (CTK) – The Czech junior government Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL) are surprised at the Mayors and Independents (STAN) movement having its new logo and slogan prepared only two days after the split of their joint coalition, KDU-CSL leaders told reporters today.
In reaction to this, STAN new national election leader Jan Farsky told CTK that the Christian Democrats had already decided on the coalition’s split last week. The KDU-CSL then changed the form of their cooperation from the previously agreed election coalition to offering places on the KDU-CSL’s lists of candidates to STAN.
The Christian Democrats will present their solo election campaign and their slogan next week.
“I suppose that we will present ourselves as a traditional, but modern force,” KDU-CSL first deputy head and election manager Marian Jurecka said.
“It is apparent that they (STAN) had it prepared for some time,” Belobradek said, being asked to comment on today’s press conference where STAN presented its new graphic design and campaign.
“We were not preparing for this alternative. I must say that I was taken by surprise by STAN having its logo and graphic design prepared and presenting the concept of its campaign less than 48 hours after the decision not to run on our lists of candidates was made. We simply did not count with this alternative. So we have been preparing these things in the past two days,”Jurecka said today.
“This decision was not made on Tuesday, but the Christian Democrats decided so last week, so nine and not two days have passed… Having three months before the election, we could hardly wait for how it would turn out until Tuesday, doing nothing. The Christian Democrats ended the coalition nine days ago. Yes, we are flexible, effective and quick,” Farsky said.
Before a meeting of the KDU-CSL’s leadership at its headquarters in Prague centre today, KDU-CSL chairman Pavel Belobradek confirmed that the party would like to complete and approve its lists of candidates for the October general election on Tuesday, August 1.
No problems with completing the candidates’ lists are expected, he added.
Belobradek also said his party would not change its label and that it was looking for a new slogan.
The KDU-CSL reserved 40 percent of places on its lists of election candidates for STAN.
“We will have to fill these 40 percent of places either with KDU-CSL members or possibly with unaffiliated candidates whom we will try to address,” Jurecka said.
KDU-CSL deputy head and Culture Minister Daniel Herman, the party’s election leader in Prague, refused to comment on the selection of STAN’s new election leader, Farsky. He will compete with Herman in Prague in the general election.
The Christian-Democrat policy is interesting for Prague as well, Herman said, adding that he hoped he would win more votes than in the previous election four years ago.
STAN decided to run independently and not on the KDU-CSL’s list of candidates on Tuesday.
The KDU-CSL proposed looser cooperation with STAN in fear of not gaining 10 percent of the vote that a two-party coalition must cross to enter the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house house of Czech parliament, while a single party only needs 5 percent.
STAN’s decision means the split of its coalition with the KDU-CSL on which the parties agreed in the spring. STAN argues that the new form of cooperation would not be an equal partnership.
According to the latest opinion polls, the KDU-CSL would enter the Chamber of Deputies with about 7 percent of the vote, while STAN would gain under 2 percent only.
