Civic Democrats have inside candidate to head lower house

In a Sunday televised program on T.V. NOVA, the leader of the Civic Democrats, Mirek Topolanek, revealed that his party has its own candidate in mind to administer the Chamber of Deputies. If the Civic Democrats are successful then their current party deputy leader, Miroslava Nemcova, could be nominated for Chairwoman of the lower house when MPs convene to vote on June 27th. Mr. Topolanek sees Miroslava Nemcova as a fine candidate because according to him, she has the experience to lead the lower house, as well as the qualities required to do the job well. Ms. Nemcova was the deputy leader of the lower house during the last Social Democratic-led government.

The Civic Democrats are taking the position that the Chair's post in the lower house need not automatically fall to the second-place Social Democrats, and that they as the winning party intend to occupy the chair of the lower house. Meanwhile, the Social Democratic Party has spoken publicly about the possibility of Jiri Paroubek running for the chairmanship of the lower house. The Social Democrats feel that they should hold the post, given their second-place yet still strong showing in the recent elections.