Former Czechoslovak president Vaclav Havel Saturday was virtually assured the presidency of the new Czech Republic following his endorsement by the leadership of the Czech ruling party.
The move by the Czech Civic Democratic Party, headed by premier Vaclav Klaus, to endorse Havel for the vacant Czech presidency ends months of speculation about Havel's future which has severely weakened his political influence.Previously, Klaus' party had issued statements suggesting only lukewarm support for Havel.
Since he resigned as Czechoslovak president in July, after Slovak nationalists and Czech leftists blocked his bid for re-election, Havel has made clear his ambition to be the president of the new Czech Republic.
His bid also has won the support of Klaus' key coalition partners, the Civic Democratic Alliance, led by trade and industry minister Vladimir Dlouhy.
The arch-conservative Christian Democratic Party, however, has indicated its opposition to Havel, saying it will only support him if a bill is passed reinstituting vast amounts of land and property to the Catholic church confiscated by Czechoslovakia's former communist government.
Havel's latest presidential bid has eroded much of the public support he enjoyed while he was a dissident under the communists and president of Czechoslovakia after the "velvet revolution" in 1989.
"When Havel was president he acted like a citizen, but now that he is a citizen he acts like he is president," the former Communist Party daily Rude Pravo wrote.