Czech Republic: Former prime minister's victory a blow to ruling government coalition

Parliament elected former Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus as the country's new president Friday. The 61-year-old Klaus, the candidate of the right-wing Civic Democrats (ODS) he led for more than a decade until last year, succeeds Vaclav Havel. Havel stepped down Feb. 3, after 13 years in power. Klaus's election is a blow to the ruling coalition led by the center-left Social Democrats (CSSD), whose internal bickering opened the door to Prague Castle for the controversial economist. Klaus won in the third round of balloting, defeating Charles University professor Jan Sokol, a former anti-communist dissident. Sokol congratulated Klaus after the official results were announced. Klaus, who pledged to work for national unity after his victory, won 142 votes in secret ballot, one vote more than he needed to win the five-year term. Sokol was supported by 124 deputies and senators. After the vote, Klaus told Parliament that he would "keep his feet firmly planted on the ground" and not to float "among the clouds." He pledged to work close with Prime Minister Vladimir Spidla's ruling coalition, describing himself as the president of all Czechs. Spidla, who picked Sokol to represent the CSSD and its partners in the coalition government, said he had no plans to resign as a result of the defeat. "The head of state has been elected," he told reporters after the vote. "I am going to congratulate him." Some deputies on the left wing of the Social Democratic Party, backers of previous party leader and fomer Prime Minister Milos Zeman, revolted against Spidla in the vote. They told reporters that they would vote for Klaus, who was forced to step down from office in 1997 after a party financing scandal. Klaus also sought last-minute support from the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia. The infighting in the ruling party sank its candidates, including Zeman in the previous two votes earlier this year and strengthened Klaus's chances.