Fischer, Zeman favourites of presidential contest

Prague, Jan 6 (CTK) - Former prime ministers Milos Zeman and Jan Fischer were favourites of the forthcoming first direct presidential election in the Czech Republic in all opinion polls conducted from September to December 2012.

Fischer usually led the standings, but Zeman was closing on him at the end of the year and he even beat Fischer in some polls.

The last poll results can be published on Monday, January 7, ahead of the first round of the presidential election on Friday and Saturday, January 11-12. A possible second round will be held two weeks later.

No poll results may be published from Tuesday until Saturday evening when the election ends. The violation of the ban will be fined.

Most polls showed that opposition Social Democrat (CSSD) candidate and senator Jiri Dienstbier would finish third, closely ahead of Foreign Minister and government TOP 09 leader Karel Schwarzenberg. In some polls, Schwarzenberg would come third.

These candidates are followed by senior government Civic Democrat (ODS) candidate and Senate deputy chairman Premysl Sobotka and composer and artist Vladimir Franz, who is tattooed from head to toe.

All three women running for president ended up at the bottom of the standings. MEP Zuzana Roithova (Christian Democrats, KDU-CSL), Jana Bobosikova, chairwoman of the Sovereignty extra-parliamentary party, and actress and civic activist Tana Fischerova would receive about 3 percent each.

Support for presidential candidates in polls conducted by various polling agencies in Sept-Dec 2012 (in percent):

candidate Sept (Median) Sept (STEM) Sept(ppm factum) Oct (Median) Oct (STEM) Nov (CVVM) Nov (ppm factum) Dec (Median) Dec (CVVM) Dec (STEM) Dec (ppm factum)
Jan Fischer 35.5 30 27.7 32.5 29.8 23.5 28.1 26.5 22.5 25.6 25
Milos Zeman 21.5 15 22.7 24.5 16.5 19.5 19.4 26 19.5 17.2 25.6
Jiri Dienstbier 7 9 6.9 7 13.9 9 8.8 8 13 13.9 10.6
Karel Schwarzenberg 9 6 5.9 7.5 5.5 7 6.7 9.5 7 6.1 9.2
Premysl Sobotka 6 - 5.7 5.5 6.5 2 6.4 5.5 3.5 5.7 6.8
Vladimir Franz - - 6.6 3 - 4 5.6 5 5.5 3.6 9.8
Zuzana Roithova - - 3.4 1.5 - 2.5 4.3 3.5 4.5 3 4.4
Jana Bobosikova 3 - 3.8 4 4.3 3 3.3 3 2 3 4.1
Tana Fisherova - - - 3 - 2 4.6 3 2.5 3 4.4

Source: polls from individual agencies.