Zeman wants Czech CSSD to win elections, form one-colour govt

He said the one-colour government could lean on Communists´ (KSCM) toleration even though he did not directly specify the party. Zeman got a standing ovation.

He said his successors had the opportunity to continue his one-colour government when the left (CSSD and KSCM) had 111 mandates in the 200-seat Chamber of Deputies in 2002, but they did not make use of it.

Zeman´s successor in the post od party head and prime minister was CSSD chairman Vladimir Spidla.

Zeman said the party preferred a "patchwork" coalition government and he added that a government coalition partner is the worst enemy.

Zeman headed a CSSD minority government in 1998-2002 tolerated by Civic Democrats (ODS), then headed by Vaclav Klaus, under an opposition agreement that gave the ODS a portion of influence.

Zeman did not seek re-election in 2002. He left the CSSD in 2007 over disagreement with its leadership.

Zeman today dismissed the speculations about that he arrived to disintegrate the CSSD.

He said if this was also said by some CSSD leading representatives, this means that "their political instinct is not much developed."

"Can you imagine me supporting the government of [Civic Democrat head Petr] Necas or [Foreign Minister and TOP 09 head Karel] Schwarzenberg´s government which, in both cases, would in fact be a government of [Finance Minister and TOP 09 first deputy head Miroslav] Kalousek?" Zeman asked.

He said he arrived at the party´s congress to warn the CSSD about the danger of "envious narrow-mindedness" that "as soon as a more distinct personality appears in its surroundings, does everything to trample on such a personality and to replace it with a grey average that does not bother anyone on the one hand, but that does not benefit anything on the other," Zeman said.

He thanked the party presidium for the support it voiced to him before the first direct presidential run-off in January and the Social Democrats who supported him in the first round as well.

The CSSD fielded its deputy chairman Jiri Dienstbier in the first round. He placed fourth out of nine candidates.

Author: ČTK
www.ctk.cz