Presidential candidate Miloš Zeman surges ahead of his rivals

Presidential candidate Miloš Zeman has got an edge over his rivals in the race for the country’s top post. The results of a poll conducted by the ppm factum agency indicate that the former prime minister would win the first round of direct presidential elections scheduled for this Friday, followed closely by another former head of cabinet Jan Fischer. The poll shows Miloš Zeman in the lead with 25 percent of the vote, followed by Jan Fischer with 20.1 percent. Composer Vladimir Franz has placed third with 11.4 percent, followed by Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg with 11 percent and Social Democrat Senator Jiří Dienstbier with 10.6 percent. Only the two strongest candidates will advance to the second round of elections, to be held a fortnight after the first.