Prague, Nov 3 (CTK) – Former Czech Science Academy chairman Jiri Drahos gathered more than 142,000 signatures of people in support of his running in the January direct presidential election, and he submitted his candidacy for official registration to the Interior Ministry on Friday, he has told media.
Drahos, one of the presidential race favourites, said he actually collected over 157,000 signatures, but his team deleted a part of them over various discrepancies.
“I want to serve this country. I’m convinced we all have to struggle not only for this country but also for better and safer Europe. I’m convinced that our voice should be heard,” Drahos said, commenting on his candidacy.
The incumbent President Milos Zeman’s starting position is the best of all presidential candidates, because everybody knows him, Drahos said, but added that he believes in his own success.
“I am running with the aim to be president and, if am elected, for the president to finally unite people instead of dividing them and labelling them based on whether they share his opinion,” Drahos said.
He said he wants to be a president moderating and cultivating the political scene and dignifiedly representing the country.
“In my opinion, the president should clearly declare the Czech Republic’s anchorage in Europe, the necessity of our EU membership and the fact that only the alliance in NATO can guarantee our security,” Drahos said, naming the first Czechoslovak president, Tomas Garrigue Masaryk, as an example for him to follow.
He said he also highly respects the country’s first post-communist president, Vaclav Havel, and was impressed by the way the previous German president, Joachim Gauck, performed his post.
The deadline for candidates to submit their bids is November 7.
Up to now, bids have been submitted by former ambassador to France Pavel Fischer, entrepreneur and lyricist Michal Horacek, musician and extra-parliamentary politician Petr Hannig, Security and Defence Industry Association head Jiri Hynek, Skoda Auto’s former chief Vratislav Kulhanek, physician and activist Marek Hilser and now also Drahos.
The Interior Ministry says there is also another candidate who submitted a bid supported by the required number of lawmakers, but it is not authorised to release the name.
Further candidates are expected to apply for registration in the days to come.
More than 50,000 required signatures of people have also been successfully collected by Zeman, who will seek re-election, and whose aides plan to release details on his candidacy at a press conference on Monday.
Instead of citizens’ support for their candidacy, contenders may submit signatures of at least 20 deputies or at least 10 senators, which some potential candidates are still trying to win.
Former Government Office head Karel Stogl previously declared having enough signatures of senators, but he told CTK on Thursday that he is unlikely to join the presidential race.
Entrepreneur Vladimir Bostik has reportedly collected more than 50,000 signatures of people, but he has not registered his election account with the relevant supervisory office, unlike other contenders.
The two-round direct presidential election, second since its introduction five years ago, is scheduled for mid-January.
Zeman, Drahos and Horacek are the favourite candidates, according to public opinion polls.
