Czech rightists dominate Senate vote, PM boosted

By Alan Crosby

PRAGUE, Oct 28 (Reuters) - The right-wing Civic Democrats dominated runoff elections for the Czech Senate on Saturday, boosting outgoing Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek and his calls for an early vote for a new parliament.

The election had been seen as a test of strength for the Civic Democrats and rival leftist Social Democrats, who have been locked in a power struggle since inconclusive parliamentary elections in June.

According to preliminary results, the Civic Democrats won 16 of the 27 seats being contested, giving the party a majority of 41 seats in the 81 seat upper house.

"This is a clear victory for the Civic Democrats," said political analyst Tomas Lebeda.

One third of the Senate's seats are contested every two years. The Civic Democrats went into the vote with 37 seats. Turnout was low, as expected, at 20.7 percent.

"This is a fantastic result," Topolanek, who had said before the vote that winning 10 seats would be considered a success for the party, told journalists as the results trickled in.

The Social Democrats won six seats to give it 12 overall, meaning the two largest parties now control three-fifths of both the lower house and upper houses.

This could allow them to make constitutional changes, such as electoral reforms that would strengthen them at the expense of smaller rivals. Despite their rivalry, the two parties have suggested such changes in the past, although neither party seemed keen on the idea in recent days.

Analysts said the strong right-wing presence in the Senate could raise the chances of right-wing President Vaclav Klaus being re-elected by parliament in 2008.

Topolanek also needed a strong victory to defend his party chairmanship at a congress in November after his cabinet lost a confidence vote this month. He has been trying to rally support among other parties for early elections next spring.

The Social Democrats have instead offered a grand coalition, which the Civic Democrats have rejected.

The parties are expected to resume talks on forming a new government, and on possible early polls, after the Senate vote.

"The Civic Democrats now control the Senate and can reject or approve legislation on their own," said analyst Josef Mlejnik. "The right's showing is also good for Klaus, and could influence his choice as the next candidate for prime minister." ((Reporting by Alan Crosby, editing by Paul Hughes; prague.newsroom@reuters.com; Reuters Messaging: alan.crosby.reuters.com@reuters.net; +420 224 190 477))

Keywords: CZECH SENATE VOTE