Some Christian Democrats do not conceal they will support Klaus, while others say they would prefer his potential rival-candidate, economist Jan Svejnar, as Czech opposition fails to topple Topolanek's government ...
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Other Christian Democrats are still hesitating. After the meeting with the KDU-CSL's MPs, Klaus said he had not noticed "a distinctive disagreement" with his opinions. He recalled he knows a number of the Christian Democrats from his former work in the Chamber of Deputies and in government. Klaus, 66, occupied the post of finance minister in the Czechoslovak government, he was Czech PM in 1993-97 and afterwards he became the lower house chairman (1998-2002). He was elected Czech president in February 2003. KDU-CSL deputies' group head Michaela Sojdrova told reporters that the meeting with Klaus was interesting, but that it is hard to estimate the support that Klaus enjoys in the deputies' group. KDU-CSL MP Libor Ambrozek said he thinks that the forces of Klaus's and Svejnar's supporters are more or less balanced. He, however, added he would rather support Klaus. Lower house and KDU-CSL deputy head Jan Kasal said the Christian Democrats would not reach a united stance on the presidential candidate in the end. Today's meeting was the first in the planned series of Klaus's visits to the legislators' groups in parliament. Klaus said he was prepared to meet all groups that would invite him. Svejnar, who lives alternately in the USA and in the Czech Republic, has already met all deputies' groups except for the senior ruling Civic Democrats (ODS). They have already nominated Klaus who was their long-term leader and now is the party's honorary chairman.
(Ceske Noviny)
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