Court finds Civic Democrats’ lower house seat awarded to wrong candidate

A lower house seat won by the Civic Democrats in Central Bohemia was won by Martin Kupka, not Petr Bendl as announced after last month’s general elections. The discovery was made by the Supreme Administrative Court, which carried out a recount of preferential votes in half of the region. The finding does not alter the composition of the new Chamber of Deputies, where the Civic Democrats are the second biggest party with 25 mandates.

The chairman of the Supreme Administrative Court panel, Tomáš Langášek, said on Sunday that both the Ministry of the Interior and legislators should respond to the shortcomings uncovered. Judge Langášek said if no changes were made the court might in future have to deal with more contested results, which would lead to paralysis.