Czech voters to choose their next president

PRAGUE- Czech voters will determine today who of eight presidential candidates will occupy the top post for the next five years and succeed Milos Zeman, whose term as head of state expires on March 8.

The 2-day voting began in presidential elections in the Czech Republic on Friday, January 13, 2023. It is expected that preliminary results will be announced late on January 14.

Among the main contenders for the presidential seat are ex-Prime Minister Andrej Babis, army general and former Chairman of the NATO Military Committee Petr Pavel and former rector of Mendel University in Brno Danuse Nerudova. According to polls conducted over the past two months, each of them has the support of an average of 26% to 27% voters. The other five candidates will be able to receive from 1% to a maximum of 7% of the vote.

About 8.3 million voters out of 10.6 million citizens are taking part in the elections. There will be 14,857 polling stations nationwide.

The Czech Republic is a parliamentary republic, and the president performs representative functions. He represents the state on the international stage and is the supreme commander-in-chief. The government holds executive power.

However, the cabinet cannot appoint ambassadors and heads of diplomatic missions to international organizations without the consent of the head of state. The president and prime minister periodically consult on crucial issues.

Hamda Mustafa