TABLE-Czech right maintains leads over opposition

...agency Factum Invenio (FI) 
suggested the ruling coalition would win a majority in the lower 
house of parliament if election was held now, taking 103 seats 
in the 200-strong legislature. 
    The right-wing Civic Democrats (ODS) formed a cabinet with 
the centrist Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL) and the Green Party 
in January, more than seven months after election last June. 
    But the coalition holds just 100 seats in the lower house 
and barely squeezed through a confidence vote thanks to the 
abstention of two rebel leftist deputies which gave it a 
majority of deputies present. 
    A poll by the FI agency, excluding undecided and non-voting 
respondents, showed the coalition would now win 50.6 percent of 
the vote versus a total of 44.5 percent for the opposition 
Social Democrats (CSSD) and the Communists (KSCM). 
    But left-of-centre Social Democrats have closed their gap on 
the ruling Civic Democrats, with their support rising to 32.3 
percent from 26.9 percent in the previous FI survey in March. 
    In early April, the government presented a range of reforms 
cutting spending and lowering taxes, which leftists say are 
mainly aimed at the rich. The reforms however sparked protests 
within the coalition, and its fate in parliament is uncertain. 
    The government has said it would try provoke early election 
if the reforms fail when presented to parliament over the 
summer. 
     
 DATE    INSTITUTE   ODS    CSSD   KSCM   KDU-CSL  Greens 
 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 
 Jan 26    FI        36.5   29.5   14.1    7.3       7.6 
 Jan 16    STEM      32.3   20.9   12.4    7.5      11.1 
 Dec 20    CVVM      38.0   23.5   11.5   11.0      12.0 
 Dec 15    STEM      32.9   20.6   13.1    7.0      11.2 
 Dec 07    FI        35.8   30.9   14.3    6.6       7.2 
 Nov 23    CVVM      41.0   26.0   11.0    7.0      11.0 
 Nov 15    STEM      35.1   20.7   10.9    7.5       9.4 
 Nov 10    FI        41.1   27.7   12.7    6.0       7.1 
 Oct 23    CVVM      36.0   30.5   15.0    6.0       9.5 
 Oct 16    FI        35.9   27.2   13.9    6.9       8.4 
 Oct 15    STEM      32.0   22.7   11.7    6.3      10.5 
 Sept 22   CVVM      37.0   29.5   13.0    8.0      10.0 
 Sept 21   STEM      32.8   26.6   10.0    4.2      10.3 
 Sept 18   FI        36.3   32.0   13.7    6.5       7.3 
 Aug 7     FI        41.0   30.8   12.3    6.3       6.9 
---------------------------------------------------------------- 
June 2-3 election    35.4   32.3   12.8    7.2       6.3 
  
    NOTE. The FI poll was conducted between April 26 and May 2 
among 963 Czechs. 
 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 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. 
  
  Keywords: CZECH POLITICS/POLL  
    

[PRAGUE/Reuters/Finance.cz]