Prague - Civic Democratic Party (ODS), the winner of the last elections and the senior member of the ruling coalition, is to hold an important party congress on Saturday. There will be a lot of things on the delegates' minds, no doubt.
Prague Mayor Pavel Bém was elected a leader of the ODS regional organization in the Czech capital earlier this week, meaning that next to being the party's deputy chairman he now also controls its powerful regional body.
Bém had only one rival candidate, who eventually withdrew his candidacy anyway, saying he puts the party unity above personal interest. Not that it mattered: before the vote, voices were heard declaring it a pure formality.
This event is of a significant importance for the party's hierarchy, because the ODS regional organization in Prague, where the party enjoys a strong and stable support, is nearly equally powerful as the very leadership.
The regional organization's success is reflected in their members being frequently appointed to important posts in administration. After all, the Czech president Václav Klaus has been the party's longstanding chairman and a deputy for Prague. He still holds the honorary title of the party chairman emeritus.
Bém, who has ranked as the most popular politician in the Czech Republic in a recent poll, is known for his strong loyalty towards President Klaus.
Current ODS leader and Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek's relationship with the founder of ODS, on the other hand, has seen ups and downs, with Mr Klaus famously calling his successor "false and empty" in a leaked mobile phone message years ago.
Pavel Bém has also taken it upon him to try and rally support for re-election of Mr Klaus as the president next February. And he was heard saying that Prime Minsiter Topolánek could certainly do more to convince junior coalition parties not to field their own candidates.
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The Prague organization's notable success, however, wasn't taken into account during the process of the government formation after the last parliamentary elections.
ODS filled all of its nine ministerial posts with candidates from various regions but Prague. As for the Prime Minister, he calls himself a proud Wallachian (Valach, in Czech), referring of course not to the region in southern Romania, but to its namesake in eastern Moravia.
