Jan. 28 (UPI) — Current Czech Republic President Miloš Zeman on Saturday won another term, marking the first head of state to return to office in a public vote.
Zeman took 52 percent of the vote against Jiří Drahoš’ 48 percent in the election, which included about 5 million votes amounting to about a 66 percent voter turnout.
Other than the industrial city of Ostrava, challenger Drahoš won in most of the main cities, while incumbent Zeman drew support from smaller towns and the country.
Zeman’s portrayal as being pro-Russian and pro-Chinese was a contrast to his challenger’s pro-European Union and NATO positions, which led to the election outcome seen as which way the central European nation will lean — east or west.
During a speech on Saturday, Zeman told his supporters the victory would be his last “and no loss will follow it,” referring to the country’s constitutional two-term limit.
Drahoš congratulated Zeman in a speech to his supporters, saying his ideals will live on and he is “thankful for the enormous wave of energy that has surged with this election.”
