Incumbent President Ivan Gašparovič, the winner of the first round of the presidential election, cannot imagine that the media campaign against him can get even harder before votes are cast in the second round on April 4. Gašparovič said some of the private television broadcasters showed their preference for Iveta Radičová, the second successful candidate, even in their coverage during the night of the election, the TASR newswire reported.
After counting all the votes from 5,919 election precincts, Gašparovič finished first with 46.70 percent of the votes and Radičová was second with 38.05 percent. Gašparovič thus collected 876,061 votes while 713,735 eligible voters wanted to see Radičová moving to the presidential palace, according to the official results that the Central Election Commission announced at 10:00 on March 22.
“I’m glad I managed to win this fight with the media and I’m sure I will continue winning,” Gašparovič told TASR.
Gašparovič said he is not a member of any of the parties that supported him and he claimed he will carry on proving to citizens that he stands at their side.
“I think especially today Slovakia needs a president who understands the citizens and who does everything to present Slovakia as a trustworthy, open state which can be relied upon also by its neighbours,” he said.
According to Gašparovič, citizens need a president who will unite people and seek compromises rather than create tension in society. In comparison to the Czech Republic or Hungary, Slovakia has a stable government and Gašparovič believes its political stability is also to his merit, TASR reported.
“It is my task to be the one who will search for all the means to avoid conflicts and to fight for political space between the rivals,” Gašparovič was quoted as saying.
Gašparovič is glad he is backed by the two strongest coalition parties who are supporting him also for his programme, which is very similar to theirs. He said his programme is based on his life-long philosophy to be socially oriented, TASR reported.
Gašparovič believes his first round advantage can help him in the second round too.
“I won with an advantage of one big city and I think it’s a good advantage,” he told TASR. “I will appreciate it if others, who understand that in the position of a president I want to continue my programme, will join also.”
