(Prague, Jan 28 (CTK))
Former high ranking military and NATO official Petr Pavel was elected the new Czech president, winning 58.32 percent of the vote and beating ex-PM and opposition ANO leader Andrej Babis in the runoff vote that ended today, show the results released by the Czech Statistical Office (CSU).
Pavel received votes of 3,36 million people, 958,655 more than Babis who got 41.7 percent.
Turnout in the runoff vote was the record 70.25 percent as against 66.6 percent in 2018 and 59 percent in 2013.
Turnout in the election first round two weeks ago was 68.24 percent of the eight and a quarter million voters in the 10.5-million country, Pavel won it with 35.4 percent, followed by Babis with 34.99 percent.
Pavel thanked all voters who had come to the elections, They have shown that they respect democracy, he noted.
„I cannot see defeated and winning voters,“ he said after being elected president.
The values of truth, dignity and respect have won in the presidential elections, Pavel stressed, adding that in the office, he would like to persuade all citizens to return to them.
The new president-elect Petr Pavel will take oath to Senate chairman Milos Vystrcil (Civic Democrats, ODS) at Prague Castle, the president seat, on March 9, lower house chairwoman Market Pekarova Adamova (TOP 09) announced today.
Under the constitution of the Czech Republic, the new president assumes the post by taking the presidential oath to the Senate head at the joint session of both houses of parliament.
