Czechoslovak elections - results
CZECHOSLOVAKIA problems.
Given the wide range of forces in the Civic Forum, it is very probable that this preponderant political force will be torn apart, or at the very minimum that there will be splits in all political directions. The further development of the political and prospects
IN THE FOLLOWING article
Petr Kuzvart, a supporter of the Czechoslovak Left
Alternative-Movement for
Democratic and
Self-Managing Socialism, gives his view of the outcome of the Czechoslovak elections
PETR KUZVART
T HE parliamentary elections in
Czechoslovakia took place on June 8/9 both for the federal assembly and for the two national (Czech and Slovak) chambers. The voter turnout was very high - 96%, and the elections took place without disturbance. It was clear even before the vote that the Civic Forum (OF) and its Slovak equivalent, Public Against Violence (VPN), would win, with pre-election polls giving OF between 46-49% and VPN 25%. In reality the margin of victory was even greater — OF/VPN gained 46.6% overall for the People's Chamber and 45.9% in the Chamber of Nations, where there are an equal number of Czech and Slovak representatives.
The Christian democratic coalition (KDU/KDH), as expected, got a better result in Slovakia (16 to 20%) than in the Czech Lands (8 to 9%). Overall this was less than they had hoped for. This was perhaps to do with the Bartoncik affair — Josef Bartoncik, a leading Christian Democrat, was revealed to have been working for the secret police under the old dictatorship for 17 years — and other problems in the Ministry of the Interior, which has been run since December by a member of the People's Party, an old satellite party of the Communists and now part of the KDU/KDH.
The Czechoslovak Communist Party (KSC), with 13.6% overall, got rather a good score, and is the second largest party in the Czech Lands. The split offs - the Independent Left and the Czechoslovak Democratic Forum - have not succeeded in becoming significant political forces. The strong anti-communist campaign during the elections pushed the communists together.
The authentic left in Czechoslovakia will face a difficult situation in the immediate future. Obroda, based on reform
When do That's not I get up? in the play! communist forces expelled from the KSC after the Soviet invasion in 1968, and the Left Alternative, supported Civic Forum in the elections. Neither the Democratic Renewal got a good score. The left is dispersed and weak, represented by only a few deputies, such as Petr Uhl, some people from Obroda and some of the Social Democrats in Civic Forum'. The far right did extremely badly in the Czech Lands,
In Slovakia the Slovak National Party, which has a separatist orientation, got more than 11% of the vote. This bodes ill for the future. The success of the movement for self-managing autonomy in Moravia and Silesia ( two of the Czech Lands), with 5.8% of the national vote, was a surprise. Another was the failure of the Green Party which, with 3 to 4%, is not represented in the parliament due to the 5% barrier — something that may weigh on the future of ecological struggles in our country. The Peasant Party — a party of bureaucrats and agricultural technocrats previously tied to the KSC -also did badly, confounding the fears before the election that these new agrarians, supported by a very conservative election campaign, would form a solid bloc in the new parliament.
In general these elections represent a transitory stage — this parliament will only sit for two years. A number of important parties from the political spectrum are not in this parliament, above all from the left and centre. The strength of the Slovak nationalist right will pose currents within it, which are now very weak, will be necessary. In this way the political spectrum will become more balanced. There will also be another important tendency at work
The economic reform, as envisaged by the finance minister Vaclav Klaus, will deliver a shock to the society stronger than any for 40 years. The Czechoslovak petit bourgeoisie is very numerous, and it is not clear how it will react to this shock. There exists a fear that it will go to the far right or the Stalinist pseudo-left. It will thus be a part of the task of the constructive political forces to defend democracy in future elections. At the same time, the new authentic left has to offer a serious left alternative. These elections were only the overture — in two years time our decisions will have more weight. *
OSCANSKE FORUM
OF
1. Some Social Democrats, notably well-known dissithe pay at Bato, food on dependent onum lists, but 5 the party as a whole stood independently. July 2, 1990 • #188 International Viewpoint