Dientsbier, Motejl reluctant to run in presidential election

Former dissident and foreign minister Jiří Dientsbier, who was named as a potential candidate by the Communist Party in the second round of presidential elections, said he would only run for the post if Jan Švejnar backed out of the race and if he himself received broad support across the political spectrum. Ombudsman Otakar Motejl, whose name was also floated by the Communists, made a similar statement. The chairman of the Constitutional Court Pavel Rychetský, MEP Jana Bobošíková and the head of the Czech Academy of Sciences Václav Pačes were also included on the Communists’ list of possible presidential candidates.