Politics

Ex-general Pavel wins Czech presidential elections

Prague, Jan 28 (EFE).- Former general Petr Pavel has prevailed in the second round of presidential elections in the Czech Republic, with a clear advantage over billionaire former prime minister Andrej Babis.

With nearly 90% of the votes counted after polls closed on Saturday, the center-right liberal candidate had obtained 57% of the votes, compared to 43% for his rival.

The turnout in this decisive runoff vote was 69.8 %, exceeding participation in the first round (68.2 %) held two weeks ago.

Pavel, with the electoral slogan of “returning the country to tranquility and order”, looks set to win in 10 out of 14 of the Central European country’s regions.

His rival, populist tycoon and former prime minister Andrej Babis, ran an aggressive campaign, accusing Pavel of wanting to drag the country into war, in the context of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Pavel, 61, will be the fourth president of the Czech Republic, a former communist country that has been electing its heads of state by popular vote since 2013.

Between 1989 and 2008, the country’s president was elected by parliament.

Pavel follows the controversial social democrat Milos Zeman, a political ally of Babis, who despite his defeat will remain the leader of the main opposition party. EFE

gm/ks

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