Czechs to vote in presidential elections

PanARMENIAN.Net - Czechs are set to elect a successor to President Vaclav Klaus, a conservative Eurosceptic who has led his country for the past 10 years, BBC News reported.

It is the first direct election for the president, who makes some key appointments but does not carry much day-to-day power.

Voters have nine candidates from whom to choose. Opinion polls suggest that there is no clear front runner. The election will go to a second round if no candidate wins 50% of the vote.

Two of the most prominent candidates are former prime ministers, Milos Zeman and Jan Fischer. Mr Fischer, however, is dogged by his past membership of the Communist Party, while Mr Zeman's time in office was controversial.

The elderly Foreign Minister, Karel Schwarzenberg, is a favourite among the young urban voters. Another contender is the drama professor, painter and composer Vladimir Franz, who is covered in blue tattoos.

The new president will represent the Czech Republic abroad and appoint candidates to the constitutional court and the central bank.

Mr Klaus, a charismatic but divisive figure, is barred by the constitution from seeking a third term in office. His departure is likely to be welcomed in many European capitals, which were often exasperated by his blunt suspicion of European integration.

However, many in the Czech Republic gave him credit for his economic policies when in government in the 1990s, and for his decision to keep out of the euro.