Senator Okamura to address top court over elimination from presidential race

Senator Tomio Okamura said he would on Thursday file a complaint with the Czech Constitutional Court over his elimination as a candidate in the upcoming presidential election. The Interior Ministry refused to register the senator as a candidate in the race on the grounds he had failed to collect the 50,000 signatures required by law to stand as the error rate found in the petition was too high. The decision was later confirmed by Supreme Administrative Court. Mr Okamura’s complaint, and those filed by some other aspirants for the race, could delay the first direct presidential election the first round of which is planned for January 11 and 12.