Poll: Most Czechs approve of direct presidential election

Prague, Feb 27 (CTK) - Some four-fifths of Czechs consider the introduction of a direct presidential election a right decision, according to a February poll of the STEM agency released to CTK yesterday.

Most people are also of the view that they voted responsibly without prejudices and that the election course was dignified.

Until now Czech presidents were elected by both houses of parliament.

About 80 percent od Czechs called for the introduction of the direct presidential election from the end of the 1990s.

A total of 83 percent of Czechs agreed with the change after the first direct presidential election in the Czech Republic in January in which former Social Democrat prime minister Milos Zeman, current honorary chairman of the Citizens' Rights Party (SPOZ) won, beating Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg (TOP 09).

About 60 percent of voters participated in both rounds of the presidential election, which is similar to the general election to the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of parliament.

Some two-thirds of the polled are convinced that most voters tried to choose the future president responsibly and assessed the candidates without prejudices.

"However, only one-fifth of respondents definitely share this opinion," the pollsters say.

The first direct presidential election was accompanied by problems.

Several candidates, whose registration was annulled, filed complaints but the Constitutional Court rejected them.

The Supreme Administrative Court turned down all 109 complaints against the course of the presidential election. According to many complainants, Zeman used mendacious, xenophobic and nationalistic arguments in his campaign.

The court admitted it in some cases but it did not abolish the election, concluding that such problems could not influence the final result.

In spite of it, two-thirds of the polled are of the view that the election course was dignified.

This opinion was more often expressed by Zeman's voters but even an absolute majority of Schwarzenberg's supporters and those who did not take part in the election had no objections to its course.

Mainly followers of the left-wing Social Democrats (CSSD), the Communists (KSCM) and the SPOZ assess the election positively, while primarily supporters of the senior government Civic Democrats (ODS) raise serious objections to it.

The poll was conducted on 1090 inhabitants over 18 on February 4-11.