Prague, Nov 6 (CTK) – Czech presidential candidates are running for the post to change the situation in the country or its political culture, not to disappoint their supporters or to have a chance to promote their views, they told CTK, wrote on their websites or declared previously.
The favourites of the two-round direct election are incumbent President Milos Zeman, former Science Academy head Jiri Drahos and entrepreneur Michal Horacek. Each of them won support of more than the required 50,000 citizens.
Zeman told CTK he will be defending his post because his followers wanted it. He would like to keep his post since his considers the work good and interesting.
Drahos said he wants to be a president who unites people and does not divide them into friends and enemies and who would be a guarantor of democracy.
Horacek said he believes he is able to represent the interests who all citizens of the country. He said he covers the costs of the campaign himself and therefore will not have to pay anybody back if elected, neither politicians nor businesspeople.
Five candidates won the necessary support from lawmakers, either at least 10 senators or 20 lower house deputies.
Former diplomat Pavel Fischer said he joined the campaign because nobody opened the pressing issues in it, such as the shaky situation in the world, EU reforms and the future life in the countryside.
Activist Marek Hilser wants to restart the Czech political culture and be a president independent of lobbyist groups and billionaires.
Arms industry official Jiri Hynek has offered his clear views, knowledge and experience, defence of national interests and good communication skills.
Skoda Auto car maker’s former chief Vratislav Kulhanek said he would like Czechs to be proud of their state and help them life in a peaceful and confident country that has a good perspective.
Petr Hannig, head of a marginal party, said the supporters of his party called on him to run for the head of state.
Businessman Vladimir Bostik, who claims that he has enough signatures from people in support of his presidential bid, said he wants to a president of all people.
A dozen of other candidates showed interest in the presidential elections, but some of them gave up their ambition as they would not meet the requirements for getting registered as official candidates.
Sculptor Emil Adamec would like to be president to push through the idea that the post be cancelled and replaced by monarchy. Singer Jana Yngland Hruskova would like the country to leave the European Union in order to avoid the threat of migrants. Josef Toman considers the division of Czechoslovakia in two countries in 1993 illegitimate and all that happened afterwards invalid.
kva/dr
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