Ex-NATO commander wins Czech presidential election — RT World News
Petr Pavel beat former prime minister Andrej Babis in a runoff to take the top job, preliminary results show
Former NATO commander Petr Pavel won the second round of elections to become president of the Czech Republic on Saturday, beating former Prime Minister Andrej Babis with 58% of the vote to the latter’s 42%, according to the report. Czech Statistical Office. The ballots of 99% of nearly 15,000 polling stations have already been counted.
Represent the survey as a “clash of two worlds“, Pavel’s campaign said he opposed”the one represented by Babis and [incumbent president Milos] Zeman“, which he describes as “a world of chaos, inability to solve problems, personal gain and behind-the-scenes influences.”
Pavel thanked voters for their support, saying that “values such as truth, dignity, respect and humility have won this election.” He will take office in March.
Pavel, who chaired NATO’s military committee from 2015 to 2018, touted those powers and pledged to “restore integrityto the role of president, accusing his predecessor Milos Zeman of “stretch the constitution a lot” and “bringing us to the brink with pro-China and pro-Russia policies.”
Both the former NATO bigwig and his adversary were members of the Communist Party before the end of its rule over the former Czechoslovakia. However, Pavel’s training to become a spy has become a matter of controversy. He insisted he never had the chance to work in espionage.
Babis, a billionaire who was acquitted of fraud charges earlier this month, had campaigned with Zeman’s backing. The incumbent president served for the legal maximum of two terms, foiling several impeachment attempts during his tenure, and urged caution over the conflict in Ukraine lest it spill over into World War III.
While neither candidate secured a majority in the first round of voting, the other seven candidates rallied behind Pavel after being eliminated in the first round of voting. Voter turnout reached 70%, higher than usual. While Babis and his family have reportedly received death threats, Pavel was himself pronounced dead in a last-minute hoax for which his opponent’s campaign denied responsibility.
While the presidential role in the country is described as largely ceremonial, the office is responsible for officially appointing the government, choosing the governor and central bank judges, and commanding the armed forces.
rt Gt
