Website: Babiš to focus on next general election

Successful businessman and crown billionaire Andrej Babiš will not put forward a candidate list for this year’s regional elections, the internet daily Insider reports. According to the site, the decision was taken after a meeting of supporters on Thursday backing the businessman’s plans to build up Ano 2011 on the strength of an anti-corruption message. Instead of the regional elections, Mr Babiš will reportedly focus on the next general election in 2014. This year, the website added, he could still support independent candidates for the Senate. Mr Babiš is not the first in recent years to come forward with an anti-corruption platform: the smallest party in government, Public Affairs, succeeded in 2010 to get into the lower house of Parliament on a pledge to fight corruption. Voter preference for Public Affairs has since plummeted following a scandal last year that almost brought down the government.

Author: Jan Velinger