Former Czech cosmonaut Remek not to run for president

The KSCM would like a left-wing president to be elected, he added.

The KSCM was the last party in parliament undecided about its presidential candidate.

Homolka said the Communists concluded that Remek´s candidacy could play into the hands of some of the right-wing candidates for head of state.

The KSCM´s stance is yet to be approved by the party´s central committee that meets on November 3.

Remek received the highest number of nominations from the KSCM regional organisations.

Information emerged behind the scenes saying the Communists might support one of the left-wing candidates, for instance, senator and Social Democrat (CSSD) deputy chairman Jiri Dienstbier or Milos Zeman, former CSSD head and former prime minister.

Apart from Remek, the KSCM regional organisations also proposed former Constitutional Court judge Eliska Wagnerova, who had never said she would like to run, and businessman in tourism Tomio Okamura for president.

The first direct presidential election in the Czech Republic will be held in January, 2013. Until now, the president has been elected by the two houses of parliament.

The most popular candidates, according to polls, are Jan Fischer, former PM of a caretaker cabinet, and Zeman.

They will compete with Foreign Minister and government TOP 09 chairman Karel Schwarzenberg and senior government Civic Democrat (ODS) senator Premysl Sobotka, along with Sovereignty party chairwoman Jana Bobosikova, Zuzana Roithova, MEP for the Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL), and former industry and trade minister Vladimir Dlouhy.

A total of 25 people have announced their possible candidacy for Czech president. However, not all of them have met the nomination conditions yet.

Senate chairman Milan Stech (CSSD) announced that the first round of the presidential election would be held on January 11-12, 2013, and the second round two weeks later.

The candidates must hand in their applications by November 6.

Author: ČTK
www.ctk.cz