Most CSSD senators to back Czech direct presidential election

Prague - Most Czech Social Democrat (CSSD) senators will support the direct presidential election bill, Senate chairman Milan Stech (CSSD) said after a traditional New Year´s lunch he had with President Vaclav Klaus and Chamber of Deputies head Miroslava Nemcova (Civic Democrats, ODS) today.

Nemcova said it is no secret that the ODS was split on the direct presidential election.

The Czech Republic has had two great presidents elected by parliament and it is questionable whether people themselves will succeed in choosing such a quality person if the direct election is embedded, she said.

Nemcova was alluding to the late Vaclav Havel who was Czechoslovak president in 1989-1992 and Czech president in 1993-2003, and to Klaus, in office since 2003.

Stech said he believes the constitution bill will be passed by the Senate if a majority of senators from the other groups support it as well.

The CSSD holds a majority in the Senate.

The bill has already been passed by the Chamber of Deputies.

Stech said he talked with Klaus about the risks of the direct election.

Klaus strongly opposes the direct election. He recently said it is a fatal mistake that will turn the election into a Superstar contest.

Most Czechs want to vote their president directly. But some political analysts say the introduction of the direct election would send the parliamentary system rocketing.

Stech today invited Klaus to the Senate session that will be held in February.

Klaus is likely to join a Senate debate on a new Constitutional Court judge candidate whom he has proposed to the senators.

He is Prague Municipal Court judge Jan Svacek.

If the Senate approves him, he will replace Eliska Wagnerova whose mandate expires.

Klaus also might call on the senators to vote against the direct presidential election on the occasion.

His second and last possible term expires in early 2003.

Klaus has not yet confirmed that he accepted the invitation to the Senate, however.

Nemcova said they also discussed this year´s economic outlook and political culture, and commemorated former Czechoslovak and Czech president Vaclav Havel who died in December aged 75.

Klaus regularly meets the heads of the lower and upper houses of Czech parliament for lunch shortly after New Year´s Day.

On Monday, Klaus met Prime Minister Petr Necas (ODS) at the Lany chateau near Prague. Klaus and Necas agreed that the economic situation was serious but no panic was necessary. Author: CTK
http://www.ctk.cz/

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