Zeman Jokes About Run-in with Feman Activist While Casting Ballot

Milos Zeman

Prague, Jan 26 (CTK) – Czech President Milos Zeman was joking about an incident with a topless Femen activist in the polling station during the presidential election’s first round before he cast his vote in the runoff, in which he is fighting with academic Jiri Drahos, today.

 

A topless Ukrainian Femen activist, Angelina Diash, with the slogan “Zeman, Putin’s Slut” written in white on her breast and shouting it as well, attacked Zeman in the polling station two weeks ago. A Czech court imposed a three-month suspended sentence on her for violating the election and expelled her from the country.

 

Consequently, stricter security measures than during the first round were applied at the polling station where Zeman was to vote today and some 20 journalists waiting for Zeman could not enter it.

 

Zeman reminded of the incident when entering the polling station. “I am waiting for a half-naked woman rushing at me, but this may not happen now again,” Zeman said.

 

After casting his vote, Zeman compared his current duel with Jiri Drahos, former chairman of the Academy of Sciences, and the presidential runoff five years ago when he was running against former foreign minister Karel Schwarzenberg (TOP 09).

 

“Five years ago, I had a rival who was an active politician, today it is a rival who has not dealt with politics yet, this is a fundamental difference,” Zeman said.

 

Dozens of journalists were waiting for Zeman’s arrival. More than 20 of them, including those from the foreign media, had to stay outside the building.

 

Zeman’s spokesman Jiri Ovcacek told reporters that the measures had been taken because of the incident from the first round when the activist had abused a journalist’s card to get in.

 

Police officers were patrolling outside the elementary school where Zeman was to vote.

 

Ovcacek admitted that the security checks were applied at the Presidential Office’s request.

 

The police announced on Thursday that they were not preparing any special security measures in Zeman’s polling station. Yet journalists had to undergo security checks before entering the room and many could not get in at all.

 

Ovcacek said he did not consider this a problem.

 

“The most important thing is that people go to the election, it is really unimportant how many journalists are in the polling room,” he said, adding that Zeman would have a rest now.