Parliamentary elections were held in the Czech Republic on 2 and 3 June 2006 to elect the members of the Chamber of Deputies.Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p471
A major scandal broke out a few days before the elections when a classified report by Jan Kubice, the head of the anti-organised crime unit, was leaked to the media, accusing the ruling Social Democratic Party (ČSSD) of corruption and interference in police investigations. The Civic Democratic Party (ODS) and the Social Democratic Party, the two largest parties, obtained their highest percentage of votes ever. Turnout increased from the previous parliamentary elections in 2002.
The elections produced an evenly balanced result. One potential coalition – the Civic Democratic Party, Christian Democrats (KDU-ČSL) and Greens – won exactly half of the 200 seats, while the Social Democratic Party and the Communists (KSČM) held the other half, meaning that either coalition would struggle to pass legislation.
Following the elections, 230 days passed without a new government being formed. Eventually, a coalition government formed of the Civic Democratic Party, KDU-ČSL and the Greens passed a confidence vote on 19 January 2007, when two Social Democrat deputies abstained.
Campaign Several weeks before the elections, police officer Jan Kubice, head of the squad for investigating organised crime, suggested that senior figures from the police and the government were trying to cover up their cooperation with organised crime. He was summoned before a parliament commission a few days before the election where he presented a document; the contents of the document were leaked immediately.
The document suggested that former Prime Minister Stanislav Gross had connections with the criminal underground and hinted that Prime Minister Jiří Paroubek dealt with the mafia. It also contained information about minor officials, some of whom had already been imprisoned for bribery.
Paroubek and the others denied these claims and accused the opposition Civic Democratic Party of trying to manufacture a scandal to help them in the elections. After the elections, Paroubek said that the allegations cost his party, the Social Democratic Party, victory and that democracy was in as much danger as in 1948, when the Communists seized power. He raised the possibility of challenging the election result, though this did not happen.
Campaign finances Party ČSSD ODS KDU-ČSL KSČM SZ US-DEU Money Spent 120,000,000 Kč 80,000,000 KČ 43,000,000 Kč 22,000,000 Kč 13,000,000 Kč 11,000,000 Kč
Electoral system The Chamber of Deputies consists of 200 members elected for a four-year term. Seats were allocated by proportional representation between those lists that gained over 5% of the national total of valid votes cast.
Party lists were presented in 14 regions, with votes cast for a list, although voters were allowed up to two preference votes for candidates on that list.
The Czech Republic has a parliamentary system of government, with ministers being responsible to the Chamber of Deputies. The Chamber is the most powerful organ of the state with power to override vetoes by the President and the Senate.
Opinion polls
Date Polling Firm ODS ČSSD KSČM KDU-ČSL SZ US-DEU NEZDEM SNK-ED NEZ Others 2-3 Jun 2006 Election 35.3 32.3 12.8 7.2 6.3 0.3 0.7 2.1 0.6 2.4 25–26 May 2006SC&C 30.8 24.2 12.1 5.8 8.6 22 May 2006 Median 19.0 20.0 12.2 6.0 8.9 18–24 May 2006 Factum Invenio 27.8 28.5 17.3 9.0 8.6 1.1 1.5 3.0 19 May 2006 CVVM 32.0 28.0 15.5 5.5 10.5 0.5 1.0 2.5 2.0 2.5 12 May 2006 Factum Invenio 29.0 22.8 16.7 11.3 9.8 9. May 2006 STEM 26.7 25.2 13.0 5.4 7.1 0.3 0.2 0.9 0.4 19 April 2006 STEM 26.8 21.3 13.3 4.9 10.6 0.5 1.1 0.5 18 April 2006Factum Invenio 29.5 23.6 18.1 12.3 10.0 13 April 2006SC&C 24.0 15.0 11.0 4.0 10.0 35.0 3 April 2006 Factum Invenio 29.3 25.3 17.6 9.9 10.5 2.2 0.6 0.8 1.7 2.1 24 March 2006 CVVM 25.5 21.0 12.5 6.5 10.0 24.5 17 March 2006STEM 26.7 21.8 12.4 6.1 9.4 0.3 0.1 1.0 0.8 21.6 16 February 2006 STEM 28.6 24.5 15.3 6.4 5.6 0.3 0.2 0.5 1.0 15.6 2 February 2006 CVVM 36.0 35.0 14.5 8.0 3.0 1.0 1.0 1.5 18 January 2006 STEM 28.6 27.2 13.2 6.7 3.4 0.5 0.3 1.0 0.8 18.3
Results
The election produced a deadlock, leaving all the coalitions which were considered likely before the election (ODS-KDU-ČSL-Greens; ČSSD-KSČM; ČSSD-KDU-ČSL-Greens) with less than the 101 votes required to pass legislation or to pass a confidence vote for the new cabinet in the Chamber of Deputies (100, 100 and 93 votes, respectively). Remaining possibilities included a grand coalition of the Civic Democratic Party and the Social Democratic Party, which would command a large majority, totalling 155 seats against 45; a minority cabinet of either of the 100-vote coalitions, which would have negotiate with the opposition to get the majority required for a confidence vote or to pass any legislation; or fresh elections.
On 26 June, the Civic Democratic Party, KDU-ČSL and the Greens announced that they had agreed on a coalition.
Vote share by district
By region
Prague
Central Bohemian Region
South Bohemian Region
Plzeň Region
Karlovy Vary Region
Ústí nad Labem Region
Liberec Region
Hradec Králové Region
Pardubice Region
Vysočina Region
South Moravian Region
Olomouc Region
Zlín Region
Moravian-Silesian Region
References
External links Official election web site, English http://www.volby.cz – Official site with detailed results of all elections since 1994 in Czech and English (only for the later dates) Adam Carr's Election Archive Parties and elections