ČTK

Fischer Announces Support For Drahos in Election

Prague, (CTK) – Pavel Fischer, who surprisingly finished third with 10 percent of the vote in the first round of the Czech presidential election, will personally support Jiri Drahos, who finished second and advanced to its second round on January 26-27, Fischer’s spokesman Alena Jezkova told journalists today.

 

Drahos, former chairman of the Czech Academy of Sciences, who received almost 27 percent, has already been backed by another four contenders, Michal Horacek, Marek Hilser, Mirek Topolanek and Vratislav Kulhanek.

 

Out of the candidates, only Petr Hannig, who finished last but one with 0.6 percent, has expressed support for incumbent President Milos Zeman, who received almost 39 percent of the first round vote.

 

The last contender, Jiri Hynek, who obtained 1.3 percent, will only make up his mind. He has sent a set of questions for Drahos and Zeman for this purpose.

 

Zeman is now preparing himself for the televised duels on Czech Television and the commercial televisions statio Prima, in which he will be challenged by Drahos on Tuesday and Thursday.

 

Drahos is focusing on his tours of regions. On Saturday, he will visit the Zlin Region, where he will be backed by climber Radek Jaros.

 

Horacek, Hilser and Fischer have promised to provide help to Drahos.

 

Horacek has passed to Drahos large billboards across the country. At the first ones at the Prague outskirts, they now feature the caption “Vote for Drahos.”

 

“Along with the media, we have sent our recommendations to vote for Drahos in the second round to the volunteers many of whom have already joined Drahos’s campaign,” Jezkova said.

 

She said diplomat Fischer and Drahos had met at the beginning of the week. They will have another meeting in Brno on Sunday, when he will join Drahos at an official rally of his voters.

 

On his webpage, Hilser has published an appeal in which he described Drahos as a “wanted change in the Castle [the seat of Czech heads of state].”

 

He called on his followers to convince the voters. He also supports Drahos at social networks with the slogan “We Will Succeed Together.”

 

Horacek, too, has expressed his support for Drahos at social networks.

 

Prima has published the questions to be debated. These are constitutional changes, coming to terms with the past, foreign affairs, migration and relations with Russia.