Vaclav Klaus was re-elected Czech president today, 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 Mr Klaus three rounds of voting to achieve the backing of enough lawmakers to see him safely through to a second five-year term.
Mr 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 post during the campaign.
Mr 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 but little known in his country of birth before the election campaign.
Mr Klaus finally obtained 141 votes from lower house lawmakers and senators, one more than the threshold required. Mr Svejnar's support by that stage in the complex multi-round system had dwindled to just 111 votes.
A third candidate, from the Communist Party, pulled out at the last minute and pledged his support to Mr Svejnar but it turned out not be enough to see him surpass Mr Klaus, even with the help of the small Green Party.
Vaclav Havel, the iconic hero of the Velvet Revolution which toppled communism, was one of the first to congratulate Mr Klaus, with whom he clashed frequently in the past. ‘I hope that your presidency will be easier than your election,’ he said.
A Czech finance minister as far back as 1989, Mr Klaus is a veteran politician. He was prime minister from 1992-1997, parliamentary speaker from 1998-2002 and has been president since 2003.
