Čtvrtek 28. března 2024, svátek má Soňa
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Lidovky.cz

Ex-Czech PM Miloš Zeman joins presidential race

  15:55

Miloš Zeman, the former ČSSD PM, declares intention to run in direct elections to become president, sufficient signatures permitting

Miloš Zeman, seen here at an earlier rally, has declared his presidential ambitions in a letter read out to supporters foto: ©SPOZČeská pozice

Former Czech prime minister Miloš Zeman declared Tuesday that he will take part in the race to become the country’s head of state if he gets the required support allowing him to compete.

Zeman, who was the Social Democrat (ČSSD) party prime minister from 1998 to 2002 and an unsuccessful presidential candidate in 2003 against incumbent Václav Klaus, confirmed that he will fight direct elections due to take place at the start of 2013 if he gets the 50,000 signatures from citizens necessary to stand.

“I consider that, if the petition gets sufficient support from citizens, I will accept this candidacy,” he said.

Zeman’s announcement was read out by the chairman of the small party he created after quitting the ČSSD, the Party of Civic Rights — Zemanovci (SPOZ), and of which is now the honorary chairman.

The 67-year-old former prime minister was unable to attend the declaration because he was undergoing a minor operation, SPOZ chairman Vratislav Mlynář declared. The party just failed to get the 5.0 percent of votes in lower house elections in 2010 that would have allowed them to enter parliament.

Zeman joins a growing band of candidates already declared for the first even direct ballot to become Czech head of state. The constitutional bill changing the system from the previous indirect election by members of both chambers of parliament passed its last hurdle in the upper house, the Senate, last week.

Former caretaker prime minister Jan Fischer (non-aligned) has already declared, as has Foreign Minister and TOP 09 party leader Karel Schwarzenberg, as well as the head of the small Suverenita (Sovereignty) party Jana Bobošíková.

The two biggest Czech parties, the center-right Civic Democrats (ODS) and the ČSSD have still to declare who they will back in the presidential contest.

Zeman is known for building up the ČSSD into a party of government, for his wit, penchant for the Czech herbal liquor Becherovka, and, on the downside, for a series of scandals taking place during his premiership and the influence of behind the scenes lobbyists.

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