General Petr Pavel Will Run the 2023 Presidential Election

The first round of the presidential election in the Czech Republic will be held on Jan. 13-14, 2023, announced the President of the country’s Senate, Milos Vystrcil.

The head of the upper house of the Czech Parliament is bound by law to set the presidential election date so that a possible runoff vote can take place at least 30 days before the incumbent president’s term expires.

Current Czech President Milos Zeman’s second five-year term ends in early March. About 20 people have announced their presidential bids, according to local media.

General Petr Pavel has confirmed that he will run in the presidential election.

The general told the media that he is collecting signatures in support of his candidacy from the general public and is expecting to make an official announcement in August.

General Petr Pavel is considered a hot contestant for the top post. Opinion polls suggest that he alone has the chance to beat the former Czech prime minister, Andrej Babiš, in the second round of presidential elections.

Babiš has not yet officially confirmed his candidacy, but the likelihood that he will run is reported to be high.

In the Czech Republic, the candidate with the absolute majority of valid votes is elected president. If no candidate receives a majority of the votes cast, a second-round will take place in 14 days.

A citizen who is eligible to vote and has reached the age of 40 may be elected President of the Republic. In the Czech Republic, the term of office of the President is 5 years.

No one may be elected more than twice in succession, nor may a citizen be elected who has been punished for treason or for gross violation of the Constitution or any other part of the constitutional order.

To be eligible to stand as a candidate, at least 20 deputies or 10 senators, or at least 50 000 citizens must sign a petition.

The election shall be held during the last sixty days of the term of office of the incumbent President of the Republic, but not later than thirty days before the expiry of his term of office. If the office of the President of the Republic becomes vacant, the election shall be held within ninety days.