Voting in elections underway

Czechs are voting in the second round of elections to one third of the Senate, in which seats are contested every two years. Fifty two hopefuls face run offs in 26 districts after only one candidate, the controversial media mogul Vladimir Zelezny, booked an outright victory in last week's first round. Turnout last weekend was poor at 24 % , but officials expect a higher turnout for the run off as municipal elections are also being held around the country this weekend, giving voters an added incentive to cast ballots. Although the Czech Senate has limited powers in the two-chamber parliament, it will play a key role in selecting a successor to President Vaclav Havel, whose final term ends in January.