Former Czech PM Zeman opens office, starts presidential campaign

Prague, Aug 14 (CTK) - Milos Zeman, former Czech prime minister and Social Democrat (CSSD) chairman, now honorary chairman of the Party of Citizens' Rights of Milos Zeman (SPOZ), is opening his office and starting his presidential campaign, he told CTK Tuesday.

He said not even the recent cataract operation he underwent could prevent him from this.

Zeman, 67, who has been supported by incumbent President Vaclava Klaus, was the first candidate whose party collected the required 50,000 signatures for candidacy. It took it about two months and it continues to collect signatures.

Zeman's team will now be distributing his "life story" to the million Czech households.

Zeman also counts with participation in radio and television discussions and he wants to conduct dialogues about people's problems with his rivals.

The Czechs will elect their president for the first time early next year when Klaus's second term expires.

According to public opinion polls, the most popular presidential candidate now is former caretaker prime minister Jan Fischer.

Other candidates are CSSD deputy chairman Jiri Dienstbier, TOP 09 chairman and Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg, Klaus's secretary Ladislav Jakl, Vladimir Dlouhy, industry and trade minister in Klaus's government in the 1990s, and others.