Four years ago, the ODS won in all regional capitals except for Olomouc in Moravia, which went to the Social Democrats (ČSSD).

Analysts expect few surprises, except perhaps in parts of Moravia, which have traditionally functioned as strongholds for the Christian Democrats (KDU-ČSL).

"It will be interesting to see if the Christian Democrats manage to retain their strong position in south Moravia after all that interparty turmoil," says Ladislav Cabada, head of the political science department at the University of West Bohemia in Plzeň.

Recently resigned KDU-ČSL Chairman Miroslav Kalousek managed to anger many of the party's traditional voters when he said he would be willing to enter a ČSSD-led coalition supported by the Communists.

Cabada speculates that this move may take away some of the party's traditional voters, but doesn't anticipate that the impact will be too noticible, since KDU-ČSL's regional leaders have tried to distance themselves from Kalousek's stance.

The ČSSD traditionally wins in the rural areas and smaller towns, like Příbram. The Communists are once again expected to do well in those parts with highest unemployment rates: Most, Karviná and Havířov. The wealthy west and south as well as the bigger cities traditionally go to the ODS.

There are a few exceptions, of course, such as in economically struggling Ustí nad Labem — traditionally a stronghold of the ČSSD, and a supporter of communists as well — where the ODS managed to gain a foothold after ODS member Petr Gandalovič became the city's mayor in 2002.

As elsewhere, local elections in the Czech Republic tend to eschew the grand scheme of things, says Vladimír Prorok, a political scientist at the University of Economics in Prague.