Poll: Ex-PM Fischer has biggest presidential election chance

Prague,Sept 13 (CTK) - Former Czech caretaker prime minister Jan Fischer (unaffiliated) has the biggest chance of succeeding in next year's direct presidential election, according to a STEM public opinion poll released Thursday.

Fischer is acceptable for 74 percent of people and 30 percent of people would vote for him in the first election round, according to the poll.

This will be the first direct presidential election in the country. Until now the presidents have been elected by the two houses of parliament.

The winner will replace incumbent President Vaclav Klaus whose second term expires next March.

The second most acceptable presidential candidate is economist Jan Svejnar, but he announced he will not run in the election on Monday.

STEM said 60 percent of the polled replied "yes" or "may be" to the question of whether they would be ready to vote for Svejnar.

Similar answers were given by a half of the polled in case of former Social Democrat chairman Milos Zeman in third position and 46 percent gave similar answers for opposition Social Democrat (CSSD) candidate Jiri Dienstbier.

They were followed by economist Vladimir Dlouhy, Foreign Minister and TOP 09 chairman Karel Schwarzenberg and Senate deputy chairman (ODS) Premysl Sobotka, all of whom are acceptable for one quarter of citizens.

Zeman would be chosen by 15 percent of voters in the first election round, Svejnar by 12 percent and Dienstbier by 9 percent. Schwarzenberg would get 6 percent of the vote.

Two thirds of voters would take part in the election, 23 percent concede for this possibility and 11 percent are decided not to take part, STEM said.

STEM carried out the poll on 1200 people from August 29to September 5.