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Klaus wins fierce battle for the Czech presidency

President Vaclav Klaus receives flowers after the results of the presidential elections at the Prague Castle in Prague, the Czech Republic, on Friday. PHOTO: AP

Czech President Vaclav Klaus was re-elected on Friday, beating off a strong challenge from main opponent Jan Svejnar and ending a tortuous process that had been prolonged by several weeks.

In what was already a second parliamentary ballot, it still took Klaus three rounds of voting to achieve the backing of enough lawmakers to see him safely through to a second five-year term.

Klaus, 66, founder of the rightwing Civic Democrat Party, immediately called for a line to be drawn under what was an ugly campaign, marked by mutual accusations of foul play -- some lawmakers even received bullets in the mail.

"I would like to put this election behind us so that we can now go ahead," Klaus said in his post-election address. "I thank you all for putting your faith in me. I will not disappoint you."

Svejnar, 55, said he had no regrets after a fiercely fought contest in which he portrayed himself as the "change" candidate.

"Even if I was not elected, it was not for nothing," declared the US-based economist who was mainly backed by the Social Democrats.

Klaus finally obtained 141 votes from lower house lawmakers and senators, one more than the threshold required. Svejnar's support by that stage had dwindled to just 111 votes.

Before his victory, Klaus had said support for him meant support for continuity and the importance of traditional values.

"If you do not want to respect our thousands-of-years-old civilization, its Christian values and emphasis on the traditional family and respect for each individual life, do not vote for me.

"If you want to live in a future shaped by fashionable trends, when smoking will be banned and drugs tolerated, when marriage will be dispensed with as an institution and only [same sex] couples will go the town hall for registration ... that is not my program," he said.
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