Czech Social Democrats against left merging - party deputy head

The question of uniting the left emerged recently when CSSD deputy chairwoman Marie Benesova visited president-elect Milos Zeman and said Zeman is inclined to the idea of integration of the left.

Zaoralek said he does not think that Zeman is serious about it.

Zeman conceded in an interview with daily Pravo later last week that the left should cooperate after elections, but that each party should be running in the elections independently.

Zeman was Social Democrat prime minister in 1998-2002 and party chairman until 2001 when he decided not to seek re-election. He left the party in 2007 over disagreement with its leadership. He is now honorary chairman of the Party of Citizens´ Rights of Milos Zeman (SPOZ).

He won the first direct presidential election in end-January. He will take his oath on March 8.

Zaoralek said in Questions of Vaclav Moravec on CT Zeman was visiting the congresses of leftist parties in the 1990s. He called on the parties to be dissolved and on the rank-and-file to join the CSSD.

"I think this was quite a reasonable policy. Social Democracy was growing," Zaoralek said and followed Zeman´s example today.

"I would like to have partners, but I simply cannot see any," Zaoralek said on CT.

The addresses of Zaoralek´s dissolution appeal include the SPOZ and the National Socialists-LEV 21 of former CSSD chairman Jiri Paroubek.

Zaoralek said the SPOZ has neither interesting personalities nor programme points.

The heads of the two strongest leftist parties, Bohuslav Sobotka (CSSD) and Vojtech Filip (Communists, KSCM), have dismissed the idea of merging the left.

SPOZ chairman Vratislav Mynar has said in an interview with daily Mlada fronta Dnes the CSSD is a natural partner of the SPOZ, but taht it would not pander to it.

"We are a rich bride and until Social Democracy ceases to kick us, no merging will be possible," Mynar said.

Author: ČTK
www.ctk.cz