Pithart and Bures: official presidential candidates

Senate chairman Petr Pithart, of the Christian Democrats, and former justice minister Jaroslav Bures supported by the Social Democrats have been officially nominated as candidates in the Czech Republic's upcoming presidential elections. Mr Pithart and Mr Bures join two other candidates nominated earlier, former prime minister Vaclav Klaus, supported by his party, the right-of-centre ODS, and former military prosecutor Miroslav Krizenecky, put forward by the Communists. The first round of presidential elections will take place in January when both houses of parliament will vote in a joint-session, allowing for a maximum of three rounds to decide a successor. The country's current president, playwright and former dissident Vaclav Havel, will step down in February, after having held office for more than 12 years.