Voting in the first round of Czech Senate elections commences today and tomorrow; one-third of the total 81 seats are being contested. The role of the Senate, the upper house of Parliament, in Czech politics is generally limited (but will be key in the presidential election scheduled for January 2003, which is held in Parliament). Most seats will likely be decided only after a second round, due November 2. The outcome of the Senate elections is not expected to have major impact on domestic politics.
Jan Hajek