← 1996 14 December 1997 Turnout 95.8% | 14 December 1997 1999 → 75.9% 24.1% | |
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A leadership election for the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) was held in the Czech Republic on 14 December 1997. It followed a political crisis caused by allegations that the party had received illegal donations and was maintaining a secret slush which resulted in fall of the government. Incumbent party leader and Prime Minister Václav Klaus faced Jan Ruml, Klaus won the election and remained as the leader of the ODS, which led to a split in party when a group of ODS members left the party and founded the Freedom Union (US). In some subsequent opinion polls, the Freedom Union polled over 10% of the vote and was expected by some commentators to become the major centre-right party. However, the 1998 elections saw the party receive only 8.6% of vote, while the ODS remained the main right-wing party.
The elections were the first contested vote for ODS leader. A total of 312 delegates were allowed to vote, with future elections planned to be held every two years.