- Title: Czech party leaders prepare for talks on new government after elections
- Date: 10th October 2021
- Summary: PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC (OCTOBER 10, 2021) (REUTERS) MAYORS AND INDEPENDENTS PARTY (STAN) LEADER, PETR GAZDIK, WALKING (SOUNDBITE) (Czech) MAYORS AND INDEPENDENTS PARTY (STAN) LEADER, PETR GAZDIK, SAYING: "Whole generations were dreaming about Communists being ousted from parliament. This is the basic result of the elections. The fact that prime minister Andrej Babis hasn't won the elections and has lost the majority in parliament is great news." CAMERAMAN (SOUNDBITE) (Czech) MAYORS AND INDEPENDENTS PARTY (STAN) LEADER, PETR GAZDIK, SAYING: "We do realise our responsibility. These political parties (the STAN coalition) are traditionally close to each other and although we have some small differences in our (political) programmes, this responsibility will take over and we will set up a government." "KDU-CSL" LEADER, "SPOLU" COALITION MEMBER LEADER, MARIAN JURECKA, WITH JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (Czech) "KDU-CSL" LEADER, "SPOLU" COALITION MEMBER LEADER, MARIAN JURECKA, SAYING: "I hope Andrej Babis is realistic and still a sane person, meaning if he gets authorised to set up the government, he won't accept it, being aware of what we declared in our resolution yesterday. That he won't be doing something that has not even a one percent chance of being accomplished. This is a waste of time." JOURNALISTS WITH CZECH PARLIAMENT CHAIRMAN (ANO), RADEK VONDRACEK (SOUNDBITE) (Czech) CZECH PARLIAMENT CHAIRMAN (ANO), RADEK ONDRACEK, SAYING: "We are still waiting for a team to discuss this with. The prime minister has some imagination, he said he wants to make a concrete offer and doesn't want to delay talks. We expect to have quality talks and I hope they will be conducted in a democratic way." SPD PARTY LEADER, TOMIO OKAMURA, TALKING WITH JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (Czech) SPD PARTY LEADER, TOMIO OKAMURA, SAYING: "SPD has the ambition to be part of the (new) government, anyway the voters chose this way and now the 'coalition of five' will set up the government. We will now mainly focus on establishing the government because without this, the state can't function properly." VARIOUS OF POLITICIANS ENTERING PRIMA CNN TV STATION PHOTOGRAPHERS TAKING PHOTOS OF POLITICIANS TAKING PART IN STUDIO DISCUSSION POLITICAL LEADERS DURING THE "PARTIE" DISCUSSION IN THE STUDIO PEOPLE WATCHING THE TELEVISION DISCUSSION
- Embargoed: 24th October 2021 19:09
- Keywords: MARIAN JURECKA MAYORS AND INDEPENDENTS PARTY (STAN) LEADER PETR GAZDIK Prime Minister Andrej Babis SPD PARTY LEADER TOMIO OKAMURA centrist ANO party “KDU-CSL†LEADER “SPOLU†COALITION MEMBER LEADER
- Location: PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC
- City: PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC
- Country: Czech Republic
- Topics: Europe,Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA001EYKTL4P
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Czech political party leaders were preparing for talks on forming a new government on Sunday (October 10), following the parliamentary election results.
Prime Minister Andrej Babis' centrist ANO party narrowly lost the parliamentary election -- which took place on Friday (October 8) and Saturday (October 9) - to the centre-right Together coalition, and seemed to have no chance of forming a ruling majority.
Together and the liberal Pirates/Mayors coalition between them won 108 seats in the 200-seat lower house and said they intended to form a government.
Mayors and Independents Party (STAN) leader, Petr Gazdik, welcomed the election results, which saw the Communists ousted from parliament for the first time since the end of World War Two.
The leader of the far-right Freedom and Direct Democracy Party, Tomio Okamura, said his party wants to be part of the next government coalition.
"KDU-CSL" leader and "SPOLU" coalition member leader, Marian Jurecka said he was hoping Babis and his party won't accept being part of the new government.
Czech parliament chairman (ANO), Radek Ondracek said he wants the talks to be conducted "in a democratic manner."
The Czech politicians made the statements as they arrived at PRIMA CNN TV station in Prague, where they were due to take part in a televised discussion.
Meanwhile on Sunday, Czech President Milos Zeman was taken to hospital, bringing uncertainty at a key period when the president is due to lead political talks.
In the Czech Republic, the president leads talks with party leaders after elections to find a workable majority.
Under the constitution, the president can appoint anyone as prime minister and instruct them to nominate a cabinet. A new cabinet must face a vote of confidence in the lower house within a month of its appointment.
Zeman had said prior to the election that he would appoint the leader of the biggest winning individual party, not a coalition, to try to form a government.
This would be Babis, since the ANO won the most votes of any party.
Zeman, an ally of Babis, has made no comment on his next steps since the election results.
Under the constitution, the president's authority to appoint the prime minister passes to the speaker of the lower house if the presidential position is vacated.
(Production: Jiri Skacel, Liliana Ciobanu) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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