Zeman regional visits not part of re-election campaign, says spokesman

President Miloš Zeman will continue touring the regions of the Czech Republic from September but such visits do not represent part of a campaign to win re-election next January, his spokesman Jiří Ovčáček said. However, Jan Outlý from the state agency that oversees party financing says that Mr. Zeman should at least consider including the cost of regional visits in his total campaign budget, which has a cap of CZK 50 million. Mr. Ovčáček says the president has been touring the regions since 2013 and is making good on a promise to speak directly to citizens. Mr. Zeman has said he will not actively campaign for re-election or take part in debates with other candidates.