# 2002 Czech Senate election

Senate elections were held in the Czech Republic on 25 and 26 October 2002, with a second round on 1 and 2 November. Voter turnout was just 24.1% in the first round and 31.7% in the second.
The results saw the Civic Democratic Party emerge as the most successful party, winning nine seats. Independent candidates were also successful, winning eight seats. The parties of the former Four-Coalition were heavily defeated.

## Electoral system

One third of the 81-member Senate is elected every two years, giving Senators six year terms. The seats are elected in single-member constituencies using the two-round system.

## Background

Czech Social Democratic Party held 11 Seats in the elected part of Senate. Christian and Democratic Union – Czechoslovak People's Party held second highest number of seats - 6. Both parties were part of governing coalition. Opposition Civic Democratic Party held only 5 Seats. Election was considered important due to 2003 Presidential election. Czech Social Democratic Party was considered front-runner of the election while the Civic Democratic Party was expected to be second strongest party.

### Composition of contested seats prior to the elections

| Name | Ideology | Leader | Seats |
| Czech Social Democratic Party | Social democracy | Vladimír Špidla | 11 / 27 |
| KDU-ČSL | Christian democracy | Cyril Svoboda | 6 / 27 |
| Civic Democratic Party | Conservatism | Václav Klaus | 5 / 27 |
| Civic Democratic Alliance | Liberalism | Jiřina Nováková | 3 / 27 |
| Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia | Communism | Miroslav Grebeníček | 1 / 27 |
| Independents | | | 1 / 27 |

## Opinion polls

| Date | Polling firm | ČSSD | KDU-ČSL | ODS | ODA | KSČM | US–DEU |
| 2 November 2002 | Result | 7 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 7 October 2002 | SC&C | 12 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| November 1996 | Previous election | 11 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 |

## Results

| Nominating party | Nominating party | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Total seats |
| Nominating party | Nominating party | Votes | % | Seats | Votes | % | Seats | Total seats |
| | Civic Democratic Party | 165,794 | 24.88 | 0 | 284,537 | 34.60 | 9 | 9 |
| | Czech Social Democratic Party | 122,397 | 18.37 | 0 | 224,386 | 27.29 | 7 | 7 |
| | Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia | 110,171 | 16.53 | 0 | 57,434 | 6.98 | 1 | 1 |
| | KDU-ČSL | 58,858 | 8.83 | 0 | 47,049 | 5.72 | 1 | 1 |
| | Freedom Union – Democratic Union | 48,879 | 7.33 | 0 | 36,294 | 4.41 | 1 | 1 |
| | SNK Union of Independents | 44,112 | 6.62 | 0 | 45,096 | 5.48 | 2 | 2 |
| | Independents | 27,533 | 4.13 | 1 | 23,812 | 2.90 | 1 | 2 |
| | Civic Democratic Alliance | 8,846 | 1.33 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| | Liberal Reform Party | 7,592 | 1.14 | 0 | 20,069 | 2.44 | 1 | 1 |
| | Vote for the City | 7,242 | 1.09 | 0 | 12,587 | 1.53 | 0 | 0 |
| | Path of Change | 4,967 | 0.75 | 0 | 18,087 | 2.20 | 1 | 1 |
| | HNHRM | 4,576 | 0.69 | 0 | 16,915 | 2.06 | 1 | 1 |
| | Your Vote | 3,177 | 0.48 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| | Right Bloc | 3,044 | 0.46 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| | Hope | 2,858 | 0.43 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| | Green Party | 2,639 | 0.40 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| | Party for the Open Society | 2,576 | 0.39 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| | United Democrats – Association of Independents | 2,165 | 0.32 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| | Active Independent Citizens | 1,734 | 0.26 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| | Balbín's Poetic Party | 1,455 | 0.22 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| | Rural Party – United Civic Forces | 1,240 | 0.19 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| | Moravané | 1,181 | 0.18 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| | Civic Coalition – Political Club | 1,043 | 0.16 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| | Moravian Democratic Party | 532 | 0.08 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| | Choice for the Future | 496 | 0.07 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| | Party of Common Sense | 489 | 0.07 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| | Conservative Party | 480 | 0.07 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| | Party for Life Security | 352 | 0.05 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| | Czech National Social Party | 187 | 0.03 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| | Democratic League | 64 | 0.01 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| | Independents | 29,776 | 4.47 | 0 | 36,021 | 4.38 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | Total | 666,455 | 100.00 | 1 | 822,287 | 100.00 | 26 | 27 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 666,455 | 98.91 | | 822,287 | 95.89 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 7,366 | 1.09 | | 35,204 | 4.11 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 673,821 | 100.00 | | 857,491 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 2,797,846 | 24.08 | | 2,708,764 | 31.66 | | |
| Source: Nohlen & Stöver, Volby |||||||||