Prague, Aug 16 (CTK) – President Milos Zeman has enough signatures to seek re-election in 2018 as he collected over 59,000 of them by Wednesday, while 50,000 are needed, Zeman’s wife Ivana Zemanova, the head of his petition team, has told journalists.
She said since the collection would continue, the number was not definitive.
Zemanova and the collection team started collecting the signatures for Zeman at the end of April.
Teams of volunteers appeared in towns and petition sheets can be downloaded online or signed in shops or restaurants.
Zeman’s bid was also backed by the extra-parliamentary Citizens’ Rights Party.
The candidates for the president need at least 50,000 verified signatures or support from ten senators and 20 members of the Chamber of Deputies.
Since the contenders for the post are afraid that errors can appear on the petition sheets, they want to obtain more of them.
The limit has been fulfilled by lyricist and entrepreneur Michal Horacek who has collected 70,000 of them.
Former Sciences Academy chairman Jiri Drahos, one of the favourites of the contest, has collected 40,000 signatures.
Doctor and civic activist Marek Hilser has told CTK that he collected 15,000 signatures and former head of the Skoda Auto Vratislav Kulhanek 10,000.
