Opposition social democrats make gains in Czech regional elections

Source: Agencies  |   2008-10-19  |     ONLINE EDITION

THE main opposition Social Democratic Party has made huge gains in regional elections in the Czech Republic, possibly threatening plans to host part of a US missile shield in the country.

With almost all the votes counted late yesterday, the left-wing Social Democrats had won all the 13 regions contested, the Czech Statistics Office said, handing Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek his first defeat since he took over as chairman of his conservative Civic Democratic Party in 2002.

"It's a grandiose victory," Social Democratic chairman and former Premier Jiri Paroubek said.

Topolanek's party won 12 regions in the previous regional ballot in 2004.

"It's a loss for us," he said.

A third of the 81 seats in the Parliament's upper chamber were up also for grabs in the voting Friday and yesterday.

Only one candidate in the race for 27 Senate seats -- a Social Democrat -- reached the 50 percent threshold to win outright. The top-two finishers in the 26 districts face a runoff next week.

The landslide victory is a boost for the Social Democrats ahead of a parliamentary no-confidence vote Topolanek's three-party coalition government faces Wednesday.

The opposition hopes the defeat could encourage several government lawmakers to rebel in the vote.

Even it the government survives, it may not be the end for Topolanek's problems as the poor results could cost him his post as party chairman at a congress in December.

Among other issues, the Social Democrats campaigned on criticism of the US missile defense deal. The United States wants to put part of an international missile shield in the Czech Republic.

"The voters want a change," Paroubek said.

A majority of 41 seats the Civic Democrats hold in the Senate will be at stake at the runoff vote.

"We still have a chance next week to do better," Topolanek said. Twenty Civic Democrats appeared to have advanced to the second round, with 99 percent of the votes counted.