Communists want public vote in presidential election

The Communist Party announced on Tuesday it would support a public vote in the second presidential election due to be held on Friday, February 15. The Communists have also decided not to vote for incumbent president Václav Klaus, nominated by the Civic Democrats, and support one of the five candidates whose names they announced on Sunday. The presidential candidates proposed by the Communists include ombudsman Otakar Motejl, former dissident and foreign minister Jiří Dienstbier, the chairman of the Constitutional Court Pavel Rychteský, MEP Jana Bobošíková and the head of the Czech Academy of Sciences Václav Pačes.