Prague, Oct 15 (CTK) – Jiri Drahos, current head of the Czech Academy of Sciences (CAV), may become a rival of President Milos Zeman in the presidential election due in 2018, daily Lidove noviny (LN) wrote on Saturday.
In the spring, Drahos’ second term in office will expire and he cannot run again.
“Drahos will try it. I think that he will announce the decision during autumn,” a source close to Drahos is quoted a saying by LN.
Drahos himself does not speak with the media and is now abroad, LN writes.
Drahos’ interest in the candidature was confirmed by another two trustworthy sources and also voices from outside the scientific environment, it adds.
The Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL) may support Drahos, now 67, LN writes.
“We will wait until all candidates for the president officially present their bids and then we will be evaluating who is the closest to us with his values, if Petr Pithart does not run,” the paper quotes Christian Democrat leader Pavel Belobradek as saying.
Former Czech prime minister Pithart said on Thursday he might consider running in the contest.
Belobradek said he respected Drahos’ qualities.
“He would be certainly a good candidate. It is a man with insight who knows foreign languages and has good managerial qualities,” he added.
“But let us wait and see,” Belobradek said.
A similar position was assumed by TOP 09 leader Miroslav Kalousek, who was close to the CAV.
“I only express my positions on presented candidatures. I do not speak about speculations,” Kalousek said.
Zeman’s five-year term of office will expire in March 2018. Zeman has not yet said whether he will seek re-election.
Recently, former president Vaclav Havel’s 80th birth anniversary was commemorated in Prague. Pithart delivered a speech at the ceremony in which he claimed Havel’s heritage and he was greatly applauded.
After it, a part of the public started calling for Pithart running for the post.
