PRAGUE, Nov 21 (Reuters) - The Czech Republic's main
opposition party, the leftist Social Democrats, extended their
lead over the ruling right-wing group this month, an opinion
poll showed on Friday.
The survey by the CVVM agency conducted between Nov. 3 and
Nov. 10 unveiled the Social Democrats would win 43 percent of
the vote in a parliamentary election now, up from 40 percent a
month ago.
Earlier this week a poll by STEM agency also showed the
support for the opposition was strengthening and unveiled the
main leftist party alone would now take 100 seats in the
200-seat lower house, while the ruling Civic Democrats would
only secure 57 seats.
Support for the governing Civic Democrats ticked up to 27.5
percent from 26.5 percent, according to the latest poll, but was
the weakest since summer last year.
Hurt by unpopular economic reforms, infighting and plans to
host a U.S. missile defence base, the governing party has been
losing support of the public just weeks before the country takes
over the EU presidency in January.
It has ruled in a shaky coalition with the centrist
Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL) and the Green Party since January
2007, after losing a majority in the lower house following
several defections.
The coalition now has 98 votes in the lower house and relies
on several independents to push through laws, but rebel
backbenchers have often undermined policy initiatives.
The opposition has called for an early lower house election
after trouncing the government in regional and upper house
elections in October, but it does not have the power to trigger
the vote.
The government's wobbly position along with the latest
economic turmoil in Europe has raised concerns about the small
ex-communist country's ability to lead the European Union
effectively during the presidency [].
DATE INSTITUTE ODS CSSD KSCM KDU-CSL Greens
Nov 21/08 CVVM 27.5 43.0 11.5 6.5 8.0
Nov 18/08 STEM 21.1 37.7 9.6 5.6 5.6
Oct 30/08 STEM 21.4 33.3 12.0 6.1 7.1
Oct 29/08 CVVM 26.5 40.0 14.5 7.0 8.5
Sept 17/08 CVVM 29.0 34.0 16.0 7.5 10.0
Sept 16/08 STEM 22.3 32.6 11.8 5.9 8.4
June 18/08 STEM 24.0 33.7 11.8 4.5 8.1
June 18/08 CVVM 27.5 37.0 15.5 7.5 10.5
May 28/08 CVVM 26.5 38.0 16.0 7.5 9.0
May 20/08 STEM 24.8 30.3 11.3 5.2 10.6
April 24/08 CVVM 30.0 34.0 15.0 8.5 10.5
April 16/08 STEM 23.4 31.2 11.3 5.5 9.2
March 21/08 CVVM 32.0 36.0 13.0 7.0 10.0
March 14/08 STEM 24.2 30.3 10.7 5.3 8.9
March 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
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June 2006 election 35.4 32.3 12.8 7.2 6.3
NOTE. The latest CVVM poll was conducted between Nov 3 and
Nov 10 among 1027 eligible Czech voters.
The parties are:
- Civic Democratic Party (ODS) - right-of-centre,
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 poll box, excluding those not willing to
vote and undecided.
STEM results are direct voter preferences, and include
replies from all respondents including those not willing to
vote. Parties should thus win a larger than indicated share of
the vote at the election.
(Reporting by Jana Mlcochova; Editing by Michael Winfrey)
