Pro-Western former general Pavel favoured as Czechs elect president

Pavel, 61-year-old retired general with a beard, ran for office as an independent candidate and received support from the centre-right cabinet of the Czech Republic.

Although they do not have many daily powers, Czech presidents can choose prime ministers and central bank heads, and are able to influence the government's policies.

He was rated 10 times more likely than Babis to win by betting agencies, and he topped final opinion polls released Monday.

Voting begins at 2 pm (1330 GMT) Friday, and ends at 2 pm on Saturday. Results are expected later in the day.

Pavel joined the army in communist times when Prague was part the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact. He was awarded the Peacekeeping Service Medal in Yugoslavia during the 1990s. Before his retirement in 2018, he was the Czech general staff's chairman and three-year Chairman of NATO's military commission.

Pavel's coworkers have expressed their appreciation for his calm, determined decision making, ability to find consensus and resistance to stress.

He ran on the platform of keeping his central European country firmly anchored in NATO and the European Union. He also supports further military assistance for Ukraine to stop Russia from invading.

Pavel supports the adoption of the euro common money, which has been on the back burner for many years. He also supports progressive policies like gay marriage.

Pavel tried to present himself as a candidate that could bridge political divides at a final rally in Prague's Old Town Square on Wednesday.

He said, "When I was in the Army, I served my country and all its citizens regardless of my political preferences."

"We all desire democracy, freedom and tolerance. We also want decency and solving problems through co-operation."

BABIS PLAYS WAR CREDIT

Babis, 68 is a combative businessman in the chemicals and food sectors. He was prime minister from 2017-2021. He has maintained good relations with Viktor Orban of Hungary, who has clashed over the rule of law with EU partners.

Babis based the conclusion of his campaign on the fears of war in Ukraine that Russia had triggered. He stated that he would broker peace negotiations and suggested Pavel, a former soldier could drag the Czech Republic into war.

Pavel dismissed the allegations as nonsense, warmongering.

Babis was supported by the outgoing President Milos Zman, a divisive figure, who advocated closer ties to China and, until Russia invaded Ukraine in Russia, Moscow. He also supported fringe forces like the pro-Russian Communist Party.

Babis, who is the head of the largest opposition party presented the vote to protest against the government. He said that the government did not do enough to help people deal with the soaring prices of energy.

Share this article: