Presidential win no guarantee of SPOZ election success - Zeman

The SPOZ must prepare a good programme and choose good candidates, he said.

"The so-called presidential party allegedly automatically wins ten percent of votes more. Please don´t believe it. All elections are won by the party that has good candidates and a good programme," Zeman said.

He said the SPOZ programme should not include populist slogans but appeal to reflective voters.

The general election is scheduled for mid-2014. Zeman said previously, however, that the current government of Petr Necas (Civic Democrats, ODS) should end as soon as possible.

Zeman, former socialist prime minister, beat Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg (TOP 09) in the direct presidential election runoff in January. His inauguration will be held on Friday, March 8.

Zeman said the SPOZ was successful in the Zlin region, south Moravia, thanks to its candidates, especially SPOZ leader Vratislav Mynar and Frantisek Cuba, former head of the Slusovice cooperative farm, an economic empire under the late communist regime.

The SPOZ won seven of 675 mandates in the regional elections last autumn, four in the Zlin region and three in the Pardubice region, east Bohemia.

Zeman said he would keep the post of SPOZ honorary chairman and he would cast his vote for the SPOZ but that he would not participate in the election campaign as the president should be above parties.

Outgoing President Vaclav Klaus was honorary chairman of the Civic Democrats. He gave up the post over disputes with ODS former leader Mirek Topolanek in late 2009.

Author: ČTK
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