Personalities launch appeal to support Schwarzenberg

Prague, Jan 21 (CTK) - Karel Schwarzenberg is a personality that would unite, not divide the Czech Republic's citizens if he became the head of state, says an appeal supporting Schwarzenberg's presidential candidature and launched by 20 prominent public figures Monday.

The appeal has been signed by sociologist Ivan Gabal, rock musician Michael Kocab as well as former politicians Jan Ruml and Fedor Gal.

Former prime minister Milos Zeman and Foreign Minister Schwarzenberg will contest the direct presidential run-off on January 25-26.

Before the first round of the election, held on January 11-12, some 130 personalities signed the Epiphany Appeal for Schwarzenberg's Election.

Organisers have called the current appeal "the second Epiphany appeal" in support of their favourite.

A phone centre of Schwarzenberg's team will open Monday.

His followers from the ranks of well-known personalities will phone voters and convince them to vote for Schwarzenberg, leader of the conservative TOP 09.

Schwarzenberg has been supported by film director of Czech origin Milos Forman (Oscar-winning Amadeus), Czech U.S.based actor Jan Triska, actor and script-writer Zdenek Sverak (Oscar-winning Kolya), rockers David Koller, Ondrej Soukup and Michal Pavlicek, seven-time gymnastics Olympic winner Vera Caslavska, conductor Libor Pesek (Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra in the 1990s), Bishop Vaclav Maly, diplomat Martin Palous and other prominent personalities.

The appeal says out of the contenders, Schwarzenberg is the only personality following up the work of Czechoslovak and Czech President Vaclav Havel (1989-2003)