Prague, Jan 27 (CTK) – Incumbent Czech President Milos Zeman was re-elected for another five years, beating former Science Academy chairman Jiri Drahos in the runoff vote today, according to CTK calculations based on the preliminary election results.
Zeman is to gain between 51 and 52 percent of the vote, which is less than in the first direct presidential election five years ago when he won 54.8 percent.
However, Zeman gained more votes in this presidential runoff than five years ago when over 2.7 million voted for him. Now he got some 2.8 million votes.
Zeman was leading from the beginning when the votes of the first constituencies were counted, while Drahos was cutting the lead gradually, but fared second in the end.
Zeman won in ten regions and Drahos in four, including the capital of Prague as well as the Central Bohemia, Liberec and Hradec Kralove regions. Zeman scored the most persuasive victory in the Moravia-Silesia Region.
The turnout in the second round was record high of over 66 percent after most votes were counted.
Turnout in the presidential runoff vote five years ago was 59 percent.
