Incumbent President Ivan Gašparovič told the press he was optimistic about the forthcoming results of the second round of the presidential election on April 4.
Gašparovič, who is supported by two parties of the ruling coalition, Smer and the Slovak National Party (SNS), faced Iveta Radičová, the joint candidate of three parliamentary opposition parties, head-to-head in the second round.
“You must ask those who are coming here [to vote],” Gašparovič answered to the question whether he expects to win in the second round, the SITA newswire reported.
He did not want to guess what percentage of votes he would gain.
“That will depend on how many people come to vote,” he said.
Gašparovič expected the turnout to exceed 40 percent.
The chairman of the opposition Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKU) party and the former Prime Minister, Mikuláš Dzurinda, said he hopes a change will emerge from these presidential elections, SITA wrote.
“I wish for a change, because it would not only make the political scene in Slovakia more colourful and lively, but undoubtedly it would be a rejuvenating element,” Dzurinda said. “A very rejuvenating change, which would lead to a fuller debate, so that people whose opinions are currently in a minority would not be overlooked in society and we would strive to seek solutions in a more civil democratic environment.”
4. Apr 2009 at 22:00
