Prague, (CTK) – Various organisations and personalities express support for the presidential candidates, President Milos Zeman and academic Jiri Drahos, before the weekend runoff vote, their representatives told CTK in their press releases and press conferences today.
The Czech Freedom Fighters’ Association chairman Jaroslav Vodicka, on behalf of the Patriotic Forum, and conservative group D.O.S.T. (E.N.O.U.G.H.) back Zeman, while the young Social Democrats (CSSD), Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL), Conservatives, TOP 09 and Greens express support for Drahos.
Representatives of these five organisations of young party members issued a joint statement on the presidential election’s second round, in which they agreed on support for Drahos and stressed the importance of the presidential post in the Czech Republic.
The president should bring stability, decency and respect for the constitution to the society, they said, adding that Drahos would fulfill these expectations in their opinion.
On the contrary, Vodicka stood up for Zeman today, saying he was a principled man who “stood the test by fire” when being sacked from work in 1968 (for his negative stance on the Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia).
The Senior Council of the Czech Republic also supported Zeman at the same press conference. Its chairman Zdenek Pernes told CTK that Zeman can understand problems of the elderly, stood by them and promoted regular pension indexation.
War veteran Pavel Vransky also says he will vote for Zeman as he is an experienced politician, unlike Drahos.
D.O.S.T. representatives led by Petr Bahnik say they fully support Zeman though, unlike them, he is not an opponent to the EU, and that they hope he will remain the president for another five years.
Out of culture and sport personalities, director and scriptwriter Zdenek Sverak, footballers Vladimir Smicer and Jozef Chovanec, actors Bolek Polivka and Martin Dejdar and astronomer Jiri Grygar support Drahos, while singer Daniel Hulka, musician Frantisek Ringo Cech, film director Zdenek Troska and sport shooter Jan Kurka prefer Zeman.