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Czech election: Ballots cast in presidential poll Czech election: Zeman leads Schwarzenberg in poll
(35 minutes later)
Votes are being counted in the Czech Republic's presidential election, the first time the role has been decided by direct popular vote. Former PM Milos Zeman is leading the Czech Republic's presidential election, with 60% of votes counted.
Former Czech Prime Minister Milos Zeman was leading Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg in the second round, with 30% of votes counted. He was ahead of Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg by 57% to 43% in the second-round poll.
Before polls closed at 13:00 GMT, people braved freezing conditions to vote in the nail-bitingly close poll. The election is the first time the presidency has been decided by direct popular vote.
Mr Zeman was ahead by 59% to 41%, with a third of votes counted. Before polls closed at 13:00 GMT, people braved freezing conditions to vote in what was being seen as a nail-bitingly close poll.
The former prime minister gained 24.2% in the first round, with Mr Schwarzenberg winning 23.4%.The former prime minister gained 24.2% in the first round, with Mr Schwarzenberg winning 23.4%.
"It'll be very tight," Mr Schwarzenberg said after casting his ballot in the small village of Sykorice, south-west of Prague."It'll be very tight," Mr Schwarzenberg said after casting his ballot in the small village of Sykorice, south-west of Prague.
"I'm not nervous, far from it, I'm calm, we'll see," he added."I'm not nervous, far from it, I'm calm, we'll see," he added.
Mr Zeman said he had said all he wanted to say.Mr Zeman said he had said all he wanted to say.
"Now it's the turn of citizens," he added."Now it's the turn of citizens," he added.
Different candidatesDifferent candidates
The BBC's Rob Cameron in Prague says that though Czechs are generally disillusioned with politics, they have been turning out in droves to chose the two very different candidates - Mr Zeman, the acerbic former Social Democrat prime minister, and Karel Schwarzenberg, the elderly, aristocratic foreign minister.The BBC's Rob Cameron in Prague says that though Czechs are generally disillusioned with politics, they have been turning out in droves to chose the two very different candidates - Mr Zeman, the acerbic former Social Democrat prime minister, and Karel Schwarzenberg, the elderly, aristocratic foreign minister.
Mr Zeman is a hard-drinking, chain-smoking politician, known for his witty put-downs of his political opponents while Mr Schwarzenberg is a titled prince, 75 years old but wildly popularly amongst young, urban voters, our correspondent says.Mr Zeman is a hard-drinking, chain-smoking politician, known for his witty put-downs of his political opponents while Mr Schwarzenberg is a titled prince, 75 years old but wildly popularly amongst young, urban voters, our correspondent says.
In the early 1990s, Mr Schwarzenberg worked as chancellor to the President Vaclav Havel, the leader of the Velvet Revolution that brought down Communist rule in 1989.In the early 1990s, Mr Schwarzenberg worked as chancellor to the President Vaclav Havel, the leader of the Velvet Revolution that brought down Communist rule in 1989.
The new president will represent the Czech Republic abroad and appoint candidates to the constitutional court and the central bank, but does not carry much day-to-day power.The new president will represent the Czech Republic abroad and appoint candidates to the constitutional court and the central bank, but does not carry much day-to-day power.