(Repeats story published late on Thursday)
PRAGUE, Dec 17 (Reuters) - The Czech right-wing Civic
Democrats (ODS) fell further behind main rival the leftist
Social Democrats ahead of an election in mid-2010, two
independent surveys showed on Thursday.
The poll by the STEM agency showed backing for the Civic
Democrats eased to 22.5 percent in December from November's 23.3
percent, while support for the Social Democrats rose to 28.7
percent from 25.4 percent.
The CVVM agency poll showed backing for the Social Democrats
slid, but less severely than that for the Civic Democrats.
The leftists edged down to 34.0 percent from 34.5 percent
while support for the ODS, who led the previous government, sank
to 24.0 percent from 26.5 percent.
Last week's budget vote in parliament laid bare the
weakening power of the Civic Democrats as they failed to prevent
the leftist party from pushing through extra spending, which
threatens to hike the 2010 deficit close to 6 percent of gross
domestic product.
Backing for the conservative party TOP09 rose to 13.5
percent from 12.0 percent, showed the CVVM's poll, while the
STEM poll showed the newly-formed party shed some support,
dipping to 8.3 percent from 8.4 percent.
The far-left Communists' (KSCM) backing strengthened to 12.5
percent from 11.0 percent, CVVM said, while the other poll said
the communists' dropped to 10.9 percent from 12.3 percent.
Support for the Greens rose in both polls, but in neither
did it break the 5 percent level, compulsory to qualify for
parliamentary seats, for which a political party must win at
least 5 percent.
The Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL) dropped to 4.5 percent
from 5.0 percent, missing the 5 percent threshold, in the CVVM
poll while the STEM poll showed the party backing rose to 5.7
percent from 5.1 percent.
The centre- and right- leaning parties would not be able to
form a majority coalition, according to the STEM poll.
The Czech Republic has been run by a non-partisan government
since the leftist parties toppled a centre-right Civic
Democrat-led coalition government in March.
DATE INSTITUTE ODS CSSD KSCM TOP09 KDU-CSL Greens
Dec 17/09 CVVM 24.0 34.0 12.5 13.5 4.5 4.5
Dec 17/09 STEM 22.5 28.7 10.9 8.3 5.7 3.8
Nov 19/09 CVVM 26.5 34.5 11.0 12.0 5.0 4.0
Nov 18/09 STEM 23.3 25.4 12.3 8.4 5.1 3.5
Oct 27/09 STEM 25.2 26.2 11.6 8.7 4.1 3.2
Oct 21/09 CVVM 26.0 32.0 15.0 14.0 5.5 4.0
Oct 08/09 CVVM 28.5 32.0 12.0 12.5 6.0 3.0
Oct 02/09 STEM 23.2 27.4 10.6 9.2 4.2 4.6
Sept 16/09 CVVM 29.5 29.5 15.5 13.0 5.5 4.5
Aug 31/09 STEM 24.1 29.0 11.2 6.8 5.7 2.7
Aug 19/09 CVVM 31.0 33.0 13.5 9.5 5.0 3.0
June 25/09 CVVM 35.0 30.0 16.0 2.0 6.5 5.5
June 19/09 STEM 28.3 28.2 12.8 - 6.2 2.7
May 19/09 STEM 23.7 32.4 10.9 - 5.3 5.9
May 19/09 CVVM 29.0 38.0 15.0 - 7.0 6.5
April 15/09 CVVM 28.0 37.5 15.5 - 7.0 7.0
April 15/09 STEM 27.5 35.1 10.5 - 4.4 5.6
March 18/09 CVVM 31.5 36.0 16.0 - 5.0 7.0
March 17/09 STEM 27.8 35.3 11.0 - 6.0 5.3
Feb 18/09 CVVM 29.0 38.5 15.5 - 7.0 6.0
Feb 13/09 STEM 25.5 35.2 11.8 - 6.8 5.1
Jan 28/09 CVVM 29.0 41.0 14.0 - 5.5 7.0
Jan 16/09 STEM 22.5 37.7 9.9 - 6.5 5.8
Dec 19/08 STEM 23.5 38.4 11.4 - 5.4 6.3
Dec 17/08 CVVM 27.0 44.5 14.0 - 6.0 6.0
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June 2006 election 35.4 32.3 12.8 - 7.2 6.3
NOTE. The CVVM poll was conducted between November 30 and
December 7 among 1,023 eligible Czech voters. The STEM poll was
conducted between Decemberr 1 and December 9 among 1,260
eligible Czech voters.
The parties are:
- Civic Democratic Party (ODS) - right-of-centre,
liberal-conservative
- The Czech Social Democratic Party (CSSD) - leftist
- The Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (KSCM) - far left
- The new conservative party TOP 09
- Christian Democratic Union-Czechoslovak People's Party
(KDU-CSL) - centrist
- The Greens - environmentalists, centrist
Pollsters: The CVVM results are based on a model predicting
gains at the ballot 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 Mirka Krufova)
