Fischer not to advise his voters whom to vote in second round

Prague, Jan 12 (CTK) - Jan Fischer, unaffiliated former Czech interim prime minister who ended among the defeated in the first round of the direct presidential election Saturday, has not given any advice to his supporters on whom of the two advancing candidates they should back in the second round on January 25-26.

The advancing candidates are Milos Zeman, former Social Democrat PM now running for the Citizens' Rights Party (SPOZ), and Karel Schwarzenberg, foreign minister running for his conservative TOP 09 party.

"Two candidates fielded by political parties are advancing," said Fischer, who, as independent candidate, ran based on a petition signed by over 100,000 people.

Zeman, nevertheless, also gathered the required number of signatures, while Schwarzenberg was nominated by TOP 09 lawmakers.

Fischer, who ended third with more than 16 percent of the vote in the first round Saturday, was originally viewed as the election's hot favourite, according to previous public opinion polls.

He said he is still deeply convinced that the Czech Republic needs a change and that he ran in the election to give hope to people that decent life as well as decent and normal politics are possible in the country.

Senator Jiri Dienstbier, the senior opposition Social Democrat (CSSD) candidate who ended fourth, said in his opinion both advancing candidates, Zeman and Schwarzenberg, are in fact right-oriented candidates.

Dienstbier said he considers his election result good but admitted that the campaign could have been easier for him if the support of leftist voters had not split between him and Zeman.

In the second round, CSSD voters will have to choose the lesser evil, he said.

Later Saturday, the CSSD said it recommends that voters consider supporting Zeman, a candidate who is not linked to the present government.

Of the other five unsuccessful presidential candidates, none of whom gained more than 7 percent of the vote, Premysl Sobotka, candidate of the senior ruling Civic Democrats (ODS), recommended that voters support Schwarzenberg in the second round.

Sobotka, as well as Prime Minister and ODS chairman Petr Necas said Schwarzenberg received unprecedented support from the media as a result of which he was finally supported also by many potential supporters of Sobotka.

In addition, the ODS was harmed by the recent amnesty declared by President Vaclav Klaus which Necas counter-signed in his capacity as prime minister, Necas said. However, the constitutional practice prevented him from acting differently, he said.

Sobotka's position was also difficult because he was a candidate fielded by a political party, he added.

Similarly, Christian Democrat (KDU-CSL) MEP Zuzana Roithova said many of her potential supporters in the last moment preferred to cast their ballot for Schwarzenberg.

"I'm glad that a man who has a chance to succeed against Milos Zeman has advanced to the second round," Roithova said.

She left it up to her supporters whom to vote for in the second round. Nevertheless, her home party, the KDU-CSL, has already declared support to Zeman.

Actress and former deputy Tana Fischerova, too, recognised her defeat and wished voters to be satisfied with their choice.

She welcomed Zeman and Schwarzenberg's advancement to the second round.

"It is a good test. We needed to find out what people think of politics. It is necessary to work with it," said Fischerova, referring to her activities in charity and civic groups.

Composer and artist Vladimir Franz, who was viewed as a candidate of voters protesting against the present Czech politics, previously said the most important aspect of the presidential election is that the civic society is starting to wake up.

Jana Bobosikova, Sovereignty party chairwoman whose presidential programme was known as sharply Eurosceptic, said she respects it that Czech voters wish the country's orientation to the EU including their paying of debts they did not cause.

"As all [defeated] candidates...support either the Euro-federalists or Euro-jingoist, I think the time has come to call Vaclav Klaus to arms," Bobosikova told journalists, alluding to outgoing Czech Eurosceptic President Klaus.

rtj/dr