Social Democrat leader issues warning to journalists

Social Democrat leader Jiří Paroubek has warned that his party will respond firmly to any mistruths spread by the media. Mr Paroubek along with campaign manager Jaroslav Tvrdík made the statement at a press conference on Tuesday. The statement came as a response to a number of articles that have appeared in the Czech media which suggest that the party has its own “intelligence apparatus” used to track members who may potentially vote against the party in favour of the government. Speaking at the press conference, Mr Paroubek stated that such articles are presented without any evidence and lack credibility. The Social Democrat leader also warned that his party had hired a legal firm to firmly respond to any purportedly false allegations. The move comes as the party gears up for local and senate elections 17 and 18 October.