BFF-07 Pro-Russian duels liberal in knife-edge Czech vote

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ZCZC

BFF-07

CZECH-POLITICS-VOTE

Pro-Russian duels liberal in knife-edge Czech vote

PRAGUE, Jan 27, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Czechs were set to pick their new
president Saturday in a face-off between pro-Russian incumbent Milos Zeman
and liberal pro-European rival Jiri Drahos on the last day of a vote that
promises to go down to the wire.

Bookmakers have given veteran populist Zeman the edge, but recent polls
have shown the two candidates neck and neck.

About 10 percent of voters in the EU and NATO member state remained
undecided.

“This is a showdown between two completely different candidates
representing two parts of a rather split society,” political analyst Tomas
Lebeda told AFP, pointing to deep division on immigration and Czech foreign
policy.

Voting in Prague, Zeman slammed political novice Drahos, dubbing him a
rival “who hasn’t dealt with politics yet”, while Drahos hailed the social
“energy” generated by the elections and vowed it would “not be wasted,
whatever the outcome”.

Known for his pro-Chinese and anti-Muslim stance, Zeman took pole position
in a field of nine candidates in the first round on January 12-13, garnering
38.56 percent of the vote against 26.60 percent for Drahos.

– ‘Moving towards Europe’ –

Voting at a Prague school, Blanka Kotenova told AFP the election was all
about decency, freedom, “being in the EU, and if possible, working in the EU,
not just complaining”.

Another Prague voter Lubos Horcic told AFP he was backing Drahos because
“he will work to reconcile society and not divide it like Comrade Zeman”,
adding that Drahos was “moving towards Europe and the West and not towards
the East”.

But fellow voter Daniel Hajek said he would choose the “experienced Milos
Zeman because he’s opening the door to economic cooperation with countries
like Russia and China.

“It’s important for us, for jobs; our country is at the heart of Europe —
we can’t go in just one direction,” he told AFP in Prague.

Europe’s fifth biggest carmaker is dependent on auto exports, mainly to
the eurozone, and its economy is expected to expand by 3.4 percent this year.

The run-off vote comes amid a wider political crisis as billionaire
populist Prime Minister Andrej Babis is fighting police charges of EU subsidy
fraud that are hampering his ability to form a government.

Even though the country of 10.6 million people has only received 12
migrants under the EU quota system, migration was a key campaign issue.

– Smear campaign –

Zeman once called the 2015 migrant crisis “an organised invasion” of
Europe, claiming Muslims were “impossible to integrate”.

Billboards across the Czech Republic sought to appeal to voters with anti-
migrant messages: “Stop immigrants and Drahos. This is our country. Vote
Zeman!”

Zeman has also repeatedly called on the EU to lift its sanctions on Russia
over its 2014 takeover of Crimea from Ukraine.

Running under the slogan “Decency is a strength,” Drahos, a 68-year-old
former head of the Czech Academy of Sciences and a professor of chemical
engineering, could not be more different.

A mild-mannered centrist whom critics have branded “wishy-washy”, Drahos
wants Prague to “play a more active role in the EU” and backs joining the
eurozone.

He is also a critic of the refugee quota system, but insists the Czech
Republic is strong enough to accept its allotted 2,600 refugees. This earned
him scorn in pro-Zeman media and on social networks.

Drahos has denied allegations of paedophilia and having been a communist
police agent, suggesting the accusations were a smear campaign by Russian
intelligence with links to Zeman.

The constitution allows the president to name the prime minister and
government, central bank board members, judges and university professors, and
to sign bills passed by parliament into laws.

Voter turnout stood at 50 percent at the close of voting on Friday,
according to Czech TV.

Polling stations reopen at 0700 GMT Saturday before closing at 1300, with
partial results expected to begin arriving shortly after.

BSS/AFP/MRI/0913 hrs