Civic Democratic Party leadership election, 1997

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Civic Democratic Party leadership election, 1997
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←  1996 14 December 1997 1999  →
Turnout 95.8%

  Vaclav Klaus headshot.jpg Charta-setkani-signataru-ke-40.-vyroci-Lucerna2017-047.jpg
Candidate Václav Klaus Jan Ruml
Electoral vote 227 72
Percentage 75.9% 24.1%
Leader of ODS before election

Václav Klaus

Elected Leader of ODS

Václav Klaus

A leadership election for the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) was held in the Czech Republic on 14 December 1997. It followed a political crisis caused by allegations that the party had received illegal donations and was maintaining a secret slush which resulted in fall of the government. Incumbent party leader and Prime Minister Václav Klaus faced Jan Ruml, Klaus won the election and remained as the leader of the ODS, which led to a split in party when a group of ODS members left the party and founded the Freedom Union (US). [1] [2] In some subsequent opinion polls, the Freedom Union polled over 10% of the vote and was expected by some commentators to become the major centre-right party. However, the 1998 elections saw the party receive only 8.6% of vote, while the ODS remained the main right-wing party. [3]

Czech Republic Republic in Central Europe

The Czech Republic, also known by its short-form name, Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west, Austria to the south, Slovakia to the east and Poland to the northeast. The Czech Republic covers an area of 78,866 square kilometres (30,450 sq mi) with a mostly temperate continental climate and oceanic climate. It is a unitary parliamentary republic, with 10.6 million inhabitants; its capital and largest city is Prague, with 1.3 million residents. Other major cities are Brno, Ostrava, Olomouc and Pilsen. The Czech Republic is a member of the European Union (EU), NATO, the OECD, the United Nations, the OSCE, and the Council of Europe.

Václav Klaus 2nd President of the Czech Republic

Václav Klaus is a Czech economist and politician who served as the second President of the Czech Republic from 2003 to 2013. He also served as the second and last Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, federal subject of the Czech and Slovak Federative Republic, from July 1992 until the dissolution of Czechoslovakia in January 1993, and as the first Prime Minister of the newly-independent Czech Republic from 1993 to 1998.

Jan Ruml Czech activist and manager

Jan Ruml is a Czech politician who was Interior Minister from 1992 to 1997.

Contents

The elections were the first contested vote for ODS leader. A total of 312 delegates were allowed to vote, with future elections planned to be held every two years. [4]

Background

In 1996 and 1997, ODS faced scandals involving its finances. It led so-called Sarajevo assassination on 28 November 1997. Jan Ruml and Ivan Pilip called for resignation of incumbent leader and Prime minister of the Czech Republic Václav Klaus. It resulted in fall of government and political crisis. [5] [6]

Ivan Pilip Czech politician and economist

Ivan Pilip is a Czech politician and economist who was Finance Minister from June 1997 to July 1998, after having been the Minister of Education, Youth and Sport from 1994 to 1997.

Czech political crisis in 1997-1998 started as a result of irregularities in finances of Civic Democratic Party (ODS). It peaked with so-called Sarajevo atentate, an attempt to remove Václav Klaus from leadership of Civic Democratic Party. The attempt occurred during Klaus' visit in Sarajevo. Crisis led to split in ODS and snap election in 1998.

Klaus resigned as a prime minister but remained leader of ODS. He announced on 3 December 1997 that he would run for reelection as the party's leader. He wrote an open letter for the party's members where he asked them for support and called party to become a constructive opposition. [7] Jan Ruml on the other hand believed that ODS should remain in government. [8] Ruml and his supporters created an ideological platform within ODS. Ruml himself announced that he will run against Klaus. [9] Klaus quickly gathered support for his reelection [10]

Results

Candidate Vote%
Václav Klaus 22775.92
Jan Ruml 7224.08
Total299100

According to preliminary reports, Klaus had stronger support. Jan Ruml stated that he won't leave ODS if he doesn't win and can express his opinions. Received two thirds of votes and defeated Ruml by large margin. [11] [12]

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References

  1. ↑ "Bursík vyhrál v Teplicích jako Klaus v Poděbradech". Aktuálně.cz - Víte co se právě děje. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
  2. ↑ "Podvody v ODS vedly v 1997 k rozpadu strany a nástupu ČSSD". Zpravy.cz. 25 November 2012. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
  3. ↑ "Před 10 lety s velkými ambicemi vznikla Unie svobody". iHned.cz (in Czech). 17 January 2008. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
  4. ↑ "Volba předsedy ODS v historii: jednoznačná záležitost". Nova.cz. 19 June 2010. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
  5. ↑ televize, Česká. "Tzv. „sarajevský atentát" odstartoval zatím největší politickou krizi v ČR". ČT24 (in Czech). Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  6. ↑ "Podvody v ODS vedly v 1997 k rozpadu strany a nástupu ČSSD". Zprávy E15.cz. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  7. ↑ "Sarajevo - Ruml a Pilip chtějí Klausovu demisi, Macek mluví o stranickém puči". www.ceskenoviny.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  8. ↑ a.s., Economia, (5 December 1997). "Klaus požaduje odchod do opozice". Hospodářské noviny (in Czech). Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  9. ↑ a.s., Economia, (10 December 1997). "J. Ruml nechce rozkol v ODS". Hospodářské noviny (in Czech). Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  10. ↑ Česká televize;. "Po velkých politických turbulencích padla v České republice menšinová vláda Václava Klause". www.ceskatelevize.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  11. ↑ televize, Česká. "Archiv ČT24: Kongresy ODS". www.ceskatelevize.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  12. ↑ a.s., Economia, (15 December 1997). "V. Klaus opět v čele strany a záleží na něm, zda ODS bude v nové vládě". Hospodářské noviny (in Czech). Retrieved 11 August 2017.
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