Preparations are now well underway for the elections for local councils and a third of the Senate on Friday and Saturday in Czechia, albeit under extremely difficult conditions in the flooded regions.
Central European countries, including Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, Austria, and Romania, have been severely affected by torrential rainfall in recent days, with floods now having an effect on elections.
In Czechia, a total of 35 municipalities of the total 6,250 have been hit hard, which represents an estimated 200 polling stations, said Interior Minister Vít Rakušan (STAN, EPP).
Where polling stations cannot be set up or would be inaccessible to everyone, voting can take place in tents, he added.
The Interior Ministry is also assisting in the preparations, with both people and material aid, Czech Radio reported.
In addition to material aid, Rakusan added that generators would be installed in all affected communities to provide electricity.
However, some regional leaders have called for the elections to be postponed because of the floods, arguing that those helping with the aftermath of the floods would not be able to reach polling stations, which would inevitably have a negative impact on turnout.
The government is reported to have considered various options but ultimately concluded that it was not legally possible to postpone the elections. If elections were postponed, the vote’s legitimacy could reportedly be questioned.
But even if elections are held on time, some lawyers say there is a risk. For example, people whose documents were destroyed by the flood could argue that their right to vote was restricted.
Analysts predict that the current government’s parties will face a tough test in the elections. The opposition ANO (Patriots) movement, on the other hand, could emerge as the overall winner.
[Edited by Daniel Eck]
Source: euractiv.com
