Eleven candidates are in the running for the top post in the country’s
first direct presidential elections. The deadline for registrations expired
on Tuesday and the eleven candidates registered are: Social Democrat deputy
chairman Jiří Dienstbier, former finance minister Vladimír Dlouhý,
former interim prime minister Jan Fischer, MEP Zuzana Roithová, Senate
deputy chairman Přemysl Sobotka, Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg,
former prime minister Miloš Zeman, former MEP Jana Bobošíková, composer
Vladimir Franz, newly-elected senator Tomio Okamura and actress Tanya
Fischerova. Their registrations will be confirmed in mid-November after
some of the signatures collected have been checked at random. Election
criteria require candidates to collect signatures from 10 senators, 20 MPs
or 50,000 citizens. The first direct presidential election in the
country’s history is scheduled for January 11-12. The two most successful
candidates will meet in a second round to be held two weeks later.