Date set for regional and Senate elections

President Václav Klaus has announced that regional and Senate elections will be held on Friday October 12 and Saturday 13. Parties will have until August 7 to submit their lists of candidates. The Social Democratic Party, which has governed all of the country’s 14 regions except Prague since 2008, will be fighting to retain control of them and also the Senate, where the party has a majority. Only six of the socialist party’s 27 seats are up for grabs, however. The Civic Democratic Party will be looking to maintain 14 of 25 mandates. The Czech Senate comprises 81 seats, with senators serving six-year terms of office.