Czech ODS party congress not to be electoral one

Předseda ODS Mirek Topolánek při úvodním projevu na volebním kongresu ODS, který byl zahájen 5. prosince v pražském hotelu Clarion Congres Hotel Prague.

vydáno: 11.11.2009, 18:54 | aktualizace: 11.11.2009 18:57

ODS uspořádá kongres opět ve Vysočanech, setkání nebude volební

Prague - The 20th congress of the Czech Civic Democratic Party (ODS), being prepared as a non-election one, will be held in Prague on November 21-22, party spokesman Martin Kupka said today, adding that the party has launched special Internet web sites on the congress.

A part of ODS members have indicated that party chairman Mirek Topolanek should in a way ask the party for the renewal of his mandate.

They cite the fall of Topolanek's centre-right coalition government halfway through the EU presidency last spring, the failure to hold early elections this autumn and Topolanek's decision to give up his mandate as a deputy.

Topolanek defended ODS chairmanship for another two years one year ago when he defended his rival, Mayor of Prague Pavel Bem.

President Vaclav Klaus, who founded the ODS in 1991, announced at last year's congress that he is giving up the post of party honorary chairman and that he is definitively leaving the party over disagreement with the party leadership's policy.

The congress will start at 10:00 on Saturday, November 21, with Topolanek's speech. The congress will discuss "defence of freedom," "the Czech Republic in Europe and in the world," "new civilisation challenges," the party's internal functioning and other themes.

Some ODS leaders, including deputy chairman Petr Gandalovic and Chamber of Deputies deputy chairwoman Miroslava Nemcova, propose that another, election congress be held early next year.

They say the new leadership would lead the party to the general election in May.

Gandalovic has indicated he would be interested in the post of chairman.

Autor: ČTK
www.ctk.cz

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