Czech Lawmakers Fails to Elect New President

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, January 16, 2003

Czech Lawmakers Fails to Elect New President

The Czech parliament failed Wednesday to elect a successor to outgoing President Vaclav Havel,who leaves on Feb. 2, official results showed.

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The Czech parliament failed Wednesday to elect a successor to outgoing President Vaclav Havel,who leaves on Feb. 2, official results showed.

During the three rounds of voting in the presidential election,none of the four official candidates got the required majority in a joint session of the lower house and senate.

Former Justice Minister Jaroslav Bures of the ruling Social Democrats and lawyer Jaroslav Krizenecky of the Communist Party were eliminated in the first round.

Former Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus and Chairman of the Senate Petr Pithart advanced to the two rounds of runoff voting. However,neither captured the majority needed.

New presidential elections are likely to take place within 30 days, using exactly the same rules.

Former Prime Minister Milos Zeman, backed by some members of the Social Democrats, largest party in the three-party government,is widely expected to join in the new race.

Another possibility is that political parties will decide to change the election system immediately. That means the Czech Republic would have no president for several months before the parliament passes the necessary legislation and a popular vote takes place.

Havel, 66, has to step down on Feb. 2, because the Czech constitution allows a maximum of two five-year terms in office.

After the Czech Republic and Slovakia broke apart on Jan. 1, 1993, there was no president for several months until parliament in the newly-emerged independent Czech state held an election, which Havel easily won. He was elected to a second five-year term in 1998.

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