Czech Republic:Czech president Vaclav Klaus, a scornful critic of the European Union and environmentalism, was on tenterhooks last night over his bid for a second term in office.
The two houses of the Czech parliament convened to vote for Mr Klaus or challenger Jan Svejnar, but immediately plunged into characteristic wrangling about whether the election should be by secret or open ballot.
The heated debate over the issue - and the merits of the two candidates - delayed the first round of voting and cast doubt on the deeply divided parliament's ability to find a winner in an election race that is closer than Mr Klaus would have expected.
Known for his pugnacious remarks about EU bureaucracy and the futility of trying to stop climate change, Mr Klaus (66) is a strident figure who appeals to many Czechs who feel decades of domination by Moscow has simply been replaced by the rule of Brussels.
Mr Svejnar was almost unknown when he returned from the United States last December to run for president, but he has gathered considerable public support during a cross-country campaign that portrayed him as a fresh new face in a staid political landscape.
An advocate of the EU and the euro, and enjoying the backing of the vocal Czech Green Party, Mr Svejnar's calm demeanour appeals to many people who are sick of Mr Klaus's attacks on anything he deems a threat to Czech identity or personal liberty.
An economist with great admiration for former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher, Mr Klaus led the Czech Republic's transition to a market economy after the 1989 Velvet Revolution, under the presidency of his political rival, Vaclav Havel. Mr Klaus replaced the former dissident playwright as head of state in 2003.
Mr Svejnar (55), who left communist Czechoslovakia to study in the US in 1970, has yet to give up his US citizenship and speaks his native tongue with a slight accent. Also an economist, he is favoured by many politicians who feel Mr Klaus's trenchant views often embarrass his country on the international stage.
Mr Klaus is backed by the Civic Democrats - the largest party in both houses of parliament - while Mr Svejnar is supported by the Social Democrats, Greens and Christian Democrats. The incumbent's allies favour a secret ballot, but their opponents say this encourages dubious deals between individuals and parties.