The Czech presidential election was put on hold Friday, as lawmakers plunged into a charged and lengthy debate on how to elect the new head of state, according to dpa. The Civic Democratic Party, which seeks to re-elect incumbent Vaclav Klaus, is pushing for a secret ballot that could favour their candidate, while the remaining parliamentary parties covet open voting. "I consider the secret ballot something that we should honour ... I was on strike (during the 1989 Velvet Revolution) so I could vote secretly," Civic Democratic Interior Minister Ivan Langer said. The junior ruling Greens and opposition Social Democrats hope that an open ballot could benefit underdog challenger, Czech-US economist Jan Svejnar, as it would prevent individuals from backing the opponent in exchange for backroom favours. Failure to elect frontrunner Klaus for another 5-year term at the Prague Castle threatens to shake up the senior ruling Civic Democratic Party he co-founded and led as well as the fragile centre- right ruling coalition. Sixty-six-year-old Klaus attempted to win over the lawmakers by stressing he would be a transparent, tried and tested president of "no surprises." "I do not start from scratch and it would not make any sense to try to give such an impression. There is no reason for our country to start from scratch either," the incumbent said. Svejnar, meanwhile, pointed out that his presidency would differ from the incumbent's divisive style by vowing to unite people, break barriers and listen to others. "I can suppress my own ambitions in the interest of all," he said. "I will be a knowledgeable president, not a didactic one." An outspoken critic of further European integration, Klaus sought to smooth his eurosceptic reputation. He pointed out that he put in the Czech Republic's application for European Union membership and signed the country's accession treaty. "We should strive that the profits of our membership exceed its no-small costs," the incumbent said. While Klaus talked about the need to defend national interests within the EU, Svejnar spoke of openness. "Promotion of our national interests and a pro-European stance are not contradictory, they go hand in hand," the challenger said. Czech presidents have limited powers but the office is highly regarded by the public. Among others they name prime ministers, appoint judges, suggest Constitutional Court judges to the Senate for approval and pick central bankers. The 281 members of both houses of parliament elect presidents in up to three rounds of voting. If they fail to muster a majority for one of the candidates in the third round, they must start all over again.
