Prague Mayor calls for secret vote on present ODS leader - server

"I have registered that the chairman himself said he wanted to make his mandate stronger. I would like to add that this should be done in a secret vote," Bem told the server.

Bem ran against Topolanek for party chairman a year ago but Topolanek defended his post then.

Topolanek and the ODS leadership do not want the forthcoming congress to be an election one.

But some ODS regional branches do not agree with this.

Bem said ODS branches in some Prague district also demand an election congress.

ODS deputy chairman Petr Gandalovic said earlier he wants to run for the party leader. However, most observers do not consider him a strong candidate.

Those ODS politicians who oppose Topolanek mainly criticise him for not sufficiently communicating with the party bodies.

Topolanek headed a coalition government that was toppled in March and replaced by an interim government of Jan Fischer that is to rule until regular elections that will be held next spring.

Autor: ČTK
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