Moserova: I made people aware woman can have right qualities for president

Politicians and the media are still digesting the results of Friday's presidential election, when parliament failed for the second time to choose a successor to President Vaclav Havel. The vote was advertised by the media as a title fight between two political heavyweights: Milos Zeman, the candidate for the senior coalition Social Democrats, and Vaclav Klaus, nominated by the opposition Civic Democrats. In the end though, things worked out very differently. Mr Zeman crashed out in the first round, and Mr Klaus found himself left in the ring with - literally - a little old lady: 73-year-old senator Jaroslava Moserova, nominated by one of the junior parties in the ruling coalition. She told Radio Prague's Rob Cameron afterwards that she wasn't surprised the vote had ended in stalemate.

Moserova: I made people aware woman can have right qualities for president

Jaroslava Moserova and Vaclav Klaus, Photo:CTK

"This was something that could be foreseen. That was one of the possibilities, and it's not the worst possibility as far as I'm concerned. I'm content with the result that I had in the first two rounds, what happened between the second and third I have no idea. But the first two rounds I can be satisfied with, because the Senate elected me. Which of course is very gratifying. And if nothing else, people became aware that a woman can have the qualities required for the presidency."

Will you stand again?

"It depends. I think that this time the Social Democrats have to somehow unite themselves and come up with one candidate whom we shall support. The governing coalition should produce one candidate, and that one candidate should have a big chance. I doubt they'll choose me. Whomever they choose, I won't run against them. If they choose me, I'll run again."

Jaroslava Moserova, photo: CTK

You could have told the government that six weeks ago - Choose one candidate, use your majority in the lower house and the Senate, don't waste time with endless rounds unless you're sure you can push someone through.

"But they couldn't do that - once the Social Democrats had their referendum, they spoilt this possibility. Otakar Motejl, our ombudsman, he could have been the candidate to win enough support to be elected."

What do you think the Czech public will think of tonight's proceedings, the second failed attempt to elect a president?

"They won't like it I'm afraid. They won't like it, but then they don't know all the details and all the things it entails. I think it's good that there'll be a third election. I really do."

Senator Jaroslava Moserova, who came second in Friday's inconclusive presidential vote. Well Rob Cameron joins me now in the studio - the big question I suppose is what happens next?

"Well there's one certainty at least - the Czech Republic will be left without a head of state on February 2. President Vaclav Havel steps down on Sunday, and certainly a new president won't be elected before then. Parties meet this week to discuss when - and indeed whether - to hold a third vote, although most parties do want to have a third go at it. According to the Constitution, parliament has 30 days after the president steps down to elect a new one, so the third vote could be anytime between next week and the beginning of March. If a third election fails, the parties will begin process of changing the Constitution to allow a popular vote - in other words the president will be elected by the people."

The humiliation of Milos Zeman on Friday will certainly be seen as victory for Social Democrat leader Vladimir Spidla - has he got rid of Milos Zeman once and for all?

Vladimir Spidla, photo: CTK

"I don't think so. Mr Zeman may have said this weekend that he's finally going into retirement, back to his cottage in the country, but I for one don't believe a word of it. He says he won't stand in a third election - but you'd be fairly foolish to take him at his word. Even if he doesn't stand in a third vote, his loyal supporters within the Social Democrats are still capable of joining forces with the Communists to block it. It's important to remember that Milos Zeman is still immensely popular within some quarters of the Social Democrats - don't forget that he built up the party virtually from nothing."

So it's up to Mr Spidla now to find a compromise candidate acceptable not only to everyone in his own divided party, but also the other parties in the ruling coalition.

"Yes, and that candidate can best be described as "anyone capable of beating Vaclav Klaus" - because Vaclav Klaus has come out of each of these two elections looking stronger and stronger. Watching him in action at Prague Castle he was the only candidate who came across as a statesman in waiting. If Mr Spidla can't find a winner for a third vote, then I think Vaclav Klaus has a very good chance of being elected president in a popular vote. On Friday he said he didn't want to spend the rest of his political career as a contestant in a game show which he dubbed "The Strongest Link" - where the player who comes first always ends up as the loser."