Prague, Nov 1 (CTK) – Czech presidential candidate Michal Horacek on Wednesday submitted a petition signed by 86,000 citizens in support of his candidacy to the Interior Ministry, which officially registers the candidates who meet the required conditions.
Horacek told media that he had collected 115,000 signatures, but his coworkers removed almost 30,000 signatures, because these did not meet the statutory requirements. People often wrote their birth certificate number instead of the required ID number, he said.
Horacek’s candidacy was officially submitted by Czech Paralympic athlete Tereza Diepoldova.
Along with current Czech President Milos Zeman and former Academy of Sciences chairman Jiri Drahos, the businessman and lyricist Horacek ranks among the hottest favourites for the January presidential election. All three men declared to have gained more than the required 50,000 signatures to officially back their candidacy.
Skoda Auto car maker ex-chief Vratislav Kulhanek, arms industry association’s head Jiri Hynek and marginal party chairman Petr Hannig have announced that they won sufficient support from lawmakers.
Diplomat Pavel Fischer has said he won sufficient support from senators. Doctor and activist Marek Hilser, former MP Otto Chaloupka and former Government Office head Karel Stogl keep collecting signatures by citizens and politicians under their petitions.
To join the competition for the head of state, a person needs to win support for their candidacy from either 50,000 citizens, 20 members of the lower house or 10 senators.
Unlike in the previous presidential election in 2013, none of the parliamentary parties are likely to nominate their own candidate.
The Mayors and Independents (STAN) called on other parties on Tuesday to support Drahos in the election. A part of the election winnng ANO movement supports Zeman.
