Mayor Svoboda strengthened his influence in the Prague ODS
The Prague mayor and chairman of the ODS in Prague, Bohuslav Svoboda, strengthened his influence in the Prague organization thanks to Thursday’s decision of the executive council. The executive council abolished the regional associations in Prague 4 and 12. In particular, the organization in the fourth city district has been one of the mayor’s opponents in recent months. According to some parties, the entrepreneur Ondřej Palounek had a significant influence in this association.
A year ago, Prague 4 belonged to the mayor’s support. When Mayor Svoboda was elected chairman of the Prague ODS last January, two representatives of Prague 4, the then mayor Pavel Horálek and MP Marek Benda, also took the presidency. However, Horálek was removed from the post of ODS chairman in Prague 4 in the autumn and subsequently also from the position of mayor. He was replaced in both positions by Pavel Caldr, who, according to the mayor’s supporters, is connected to Palounka.
Palounek, who is also associated with the influential businessman and ODS member in Prague 10, Tomáš Hrdlička, became the head of the local cell in Nusle at the beginning of February. Some local party members complained about the strange new movements of the membership base that preceded this election.
Also in Prague 12, the mayor’s supporters have been losing influence recently. Senator Tomáš Grulich, who was one of the few Civic Democrat candidates to succeed in the autumn elections and whom Svoboda supported in the elections, was removed from the post of ODS chairman in the area this week.
He was replaced by František Ryba, who was in the past the deputy chairman of the ODS in Prague 1. Years ago, the regional organization in Prague 1 also dealt with internal party problems, and the executive council abolished it in June 2011.
Freedom has long been supported by, for example, the ODS in Prague 1, 2, 5, 8 and 9. On the contrary, it has long opposed the mayor Prague 7, 10, 11 and 13. According to some members of the Prague ODS, the mayor’s opponents now do not have a third of the regional associations on their side, which is needed to convene a regional assembly.
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