TABLE-Czech rightists narrow gap behind opposition

                                
 PRAGUE, March 7 (Reuters) - Support for the Czech ruling
right-wing Civic Democrats (ODS) rose in February, narrowing a
gap behind the leftist opposition Social Democrats (CSSD), an
opinion poll showed.
                                
 The survey by the Factum Invenio agency showed backing for
the ruling Civic Democrats rose to 30.7 percent from 27.8
percent a month ago.
                                
 Support for the Social Democrats dipped to 37.3 percent from
38.0 in February.
                                
 The Civic Democrats have ruled in a shaky coalition with the
centrist Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL) and the Green Party since
January last year.
                                
 The poll showed that the Social Democrats and the far-left
Communists would win a parliamentary majority if an election was
held now. The next regular election is due in 2010.
 
 DATE     INSTITUTE   ODS    CSSD   KSCM   KDU-CSL  Greens
 Mar 07/08  FI        30.7   37.3   16.2    6.0       8.3
 Feb 21/08  CVVM      27.0   36.5   16.0    8.5       9.0
 Feb 15/08  STEM      26.7   31.1   10.6    7.0       9.4
 Jan 31/08  CVVM      27.0   37.0   16.5    7.5      10.0
 Jan 25/08  FI        27.8   38.0   17.5    6.4       7.6
 Jan 15/08  STEM      24.3   31.0   13.1    6.0       8.2
 Dec 19/07  CVVM      28.0   35.0   16.5    6.5      11.5
 Dec 18     STEM      24.5   33.3   11.8    6.2       8.7
 Nov 22     CVVM      29.0   36.0   16.0    5.5      10.5
 Nov 21     FI        27.9   34.2   15.3    8.0      10.2
 Nov 14     STEM      27.5   26.9   12.1    5.7       9.4
 Oct 22     FI        30.2   31.5   15.8    8.3       6.9
 Oct 19     CVVM      30.0   36.0   15.0    8.0       9.0
 Oct 16     STEM      25.9   30.5   11.3    6.6       8.8
 Sept 24    FI        32.2   33.0   15.3    6.8       7.1
 Sept 19    CVVM      31.0   33.0   14.5    9.0      10.0
 Sept 17    STEM      27.0   28.7   12.2    7.3       9.1
 Aug 10     FI        33.8   30.7   13.3    8.8       6.9
 June 20    CVVM      32.0   32.0   14.5    8.0      10.5
 June 19    STEM      29.3   27.0   12.5    5.9       9.9
 June 16    FI        33.5   30.8   12.7    8.8       9.2
 May 23     CVVM      35.0   29.0   15.5    9.5       9.0
 May 17     STEM      28.6   27.6   12.6    6.6       9.2
 May 9      FI        34.5   32.3   12.2    9.1       7.0
 April 18   STEM      29.2   24.9   10.9    6.6      11.6
 April 18   CVVM      35.0   29.0   14.0    8.0      10.5
 March 28   FI        35.1   26.9   13.0    8.2      11.0
 March 21   CVVM      34.5   29.0   15.0    9.0       9.0
 March 14   STEM      32.0   23.7   10.9    7.0      11.1
 Feb 26     FI        34.7   29.5   13.3    7.3       7.6
 Feb 21     CVVM      34.5   26.0   15.5    8.0      12.0
 Feb 15     STEM      31.3   23.4   12.7    7.6      10.3
 Feb 1      CVVM      37.0   24.5   16.0    8.0      11.5
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June 2006 election   35.4   32.3   12.8    7.2       6.3
 
                                
 NOTE. The latest Factum Invenio poll was conducted between
Feb 22 and Feb. 27 among 999 Czechs eligible to vote. 
 The parties are:
 - Civic Democratic Party (ODS) - right-wing,
liberal-conservative
 - The Czech Social Democratic Party (CSSD) - leftist
 - Christian Democratic Union-Czechoslovak People's Party
(KDU-CSL) - centrist
 - The Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (KSCM) - far left
 - The Greens - environmentalists, centrist.
                                
Pollsters: The FI and CVVM results are based on a model
predicting gains at the ballot box, excluding those not willing
to vote and undecided.
                                
STEM results are direct voter preferences, and include
replies from all respondents including those not intending to
vote. Parties should thus win a larger than indicated share of
the vote at the election.
 (Reporting by Jan Lopatka; editing by Stephen Nisbet)