Former Czech PM happy to reach presidential runoff

(14 Jan 2023)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Prague - 14 January 2023
1. Czech presidential candidate Andrej Babis walking to lectern
2. Mid of journalists
3. Mid of camera operator
4. SOUNDBITE (Czech) Andrej Babis, Czech presidential candidate:
"I'm very happy. Indeed, as the candidate of the YES movement, we have achieved a great result. I got more than five hundred thousand more votes than the YES movement in the 2021 House elections. And I, of course, would like to thank mainly the voters, all those who I have now talked to for two days, but also all those who came and voted for us. I got voted in and I'm very happy about it and it's absolutely great."
5. Mid of media
6. SOUNDBITE (Czech) Andrej Babis, Czech presidential candidate:
"I'm the only candidate who is independent, I don't have any sponsors, and it's naïve to believe that they don't have those sponsors, that they don't have their interests."
7. Mid of cameras
8. Babis leaving
STORYLINE:
A first round vote to pick the next president of the Czech Republic came down to the wire on Saturday night with candidate Petr Pavel edging out former Prime Minister Andrej Babis by less than a percent.
Speaking to the media, Babis said he was "very happy" following the result.
Pavel and Babis advance to a second round of voting because none of the eight candidates seeking the country’s largely ceremonial presidency received a majority of votes in the initial round, held on Friday and Saturday.
With the ballots from 99.9% of the polling statins counted by the Czech Statistics Office, Pavel had 35.39% of the vote compared with 35% for Babis.
Babis and Pavel will face each other in a runoff in two weeks.
"I'm the only candidate who is independent, I don't have any sponsors, and it's naïve to believe that they don't have those sponsors, that they don't have their interests," Babis told journalists.
A court in Prague acquitted Babis, 68, on Monday of fraud charges in a $2 million case involving European Union subsidies.
The prosecution can still appeal.
Babis had pleaded not guilty and repeatedly said the charges against him were politically motivated.
Despite a number of scandals, his popular support remains strong, particularly among older voters.
AP video shot by Adam Pemble.
===========================================================
Clients are reminded to adhere to all listed restrictions and to check the terms of their licence agreements. For further assistance, please contact the AP Archive on: Tel [phone] Email: [e-mail].
Find out more about AP Archive: www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter: / ap_archive
Facebook: / aparchives ​​
Instagram: / apnews
You can license this story through AP Archive: www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...

[@skprincess725]

The lady in pink looks scary 😳 what did she do to her face?

[@jiri287]

Pavel bude výborný prezident pro všechny voliče. Jediné o co jde je, jaká kultura bude na hradě vládnout. A v tomto případě je vhodnější kandidát Pavel, je daleko větší diplomat než Babiš. A samozřejmě má mnohem lepší vyjadřovací schopnosti, než Hrabiš.☺☺☺☺

[@JardaR19]

A tohle zlo ať táhne na Slovensko.a my necháme Babiše být.tento dábel lže i ze spání .