Zeman would win Czech presidential election´s first round - poll

Both former prime ministers were favourites of the previous polls as well.

The ppm factum agency´s poll shows that Zeman, PM in 1998-2002 and former Social Democrat (CSSD) chairman, would gain 25.1 percent of the vote and Fischer, who headed a caretaker cabinet in 2009-10, would be supported by 20.1 percent.

Zeman has enjoyed a stable voter support, while that for Fischer has been decreasing, the pollsters say.

The two favourites are followed by another three candidates: composer and artist Vladimir Franz (11.4 percent), Foreign Minister and government TOP 09 leader Karel Schwarzenberg (11.0 percent) and CSSD candidate and senator Jiri Dienstbier (10.6 percent).

The remaining candidates have meagre chances to advance to the second round.

Senior government Civic Democrat (ODS) candidate and Senate deputy chairman Premysl Sobotka would gain 7.1 percent of the vote. Jana Bobosikova, chairwoman of the extra-parliamentary Sovereignty party, was backed by 5.6 percent, while MEP Zuzana Roithova (Christian Democrats, KDU-CSL) and actress and civic activist Tana Fischerova would receive 4.6 percent each.

According to the poll, election turnout would be 69.3 percent.

The poll was conducted on a sample of 959 citizens over 18 years on January 1-6.

Today is the last day when polls on the presidential election can be published ahead of the election´s first round on January 11-12. A possible second round will be held two weeks later.

Poll results must not be published from Tuesday until Saturday evening when the election ends. The violation of the ban will be fined.

Author: ČTK
www.ctk.cz