Topolánek calls for early policy convention to begin pre-election campaign

The centre-right Civic Democratic Party continued its 20th convention on Sunday. Party chairman Mirek Topolánek surprised in-party opponents by calling for a January convention to approve the party’s platform for the next decade and launch its pre-election campaign. Critics of Mr Topolánek within the party had hoped to call for a special convention themselves to re-elect the party leadership in February. That group was soundly defeated in a bid to hold a confidence vote on Saturday. Mr Topolánek stated at the convention that he would resign should the party lose parliamentary elections scheduled for late May, 2010. A majority of regional party leaders also voiced interest in moving parliamentary elections up to February from the scheduled deadline at the end of May. Most however felt that it would not be possible to achieve an agreement on such a change with the rival Social Democratic Party.

The Civic Democratic Party was the winner of the last parliamentary election. Their coalition government was brought down by a vote of no-confidence at the end of March, since which time the country has be run by a technocratic caretaker government.