Zeman supporters pushing for candidacy ahead of second presidential vote

The Labour and Social Affairs Minister, Zdenek Skromach, has said that his Social Democratic Party's former leader, Milos Zeman, is the only person who could defeat the Civic Democrats' Vaclav Klaus in a presidential election. Mr Klaus was the most successful of four candidates in a first presidential vote on Wednesday, but did not receive enough support to win. One wing of the Social Democrats supports Mr Zeman, and did not obey current party leader Vladimir Spidla's call to vote for the Christian Democrats' Petr Pithart after the Social Democrats' own candidate did not make it out of the first round on Wednesday. Mr Spidla and the other two parties in the governing coalition, the Christian Democrats and the Freedom Union, are opposed to Mr Zeman standing. The Social Democrats are to decide on Saturday on their candidate for a second presidential vote. Party leaders are to meet on Friday to discuss when such a vote will be held.