PRAGUE, Czech Republic, June 2 (UPI) -- Czechs went to the polls Friday to elect 200 lawmakers in what may be a close contest between the ruling center-left party and the rightist opposition.
Political analysts say they do not expect a clear-cut victory for either the Social Democratic party of Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek nor the opposition center-right Civic Democratic party led by Miroslav Topolanek.
Many Czechs are expected to vote for the Communists and the Green Party in a show of protest and even then a low turnout is expected over the two-day voting period for seats in the during the two-day voting for the 200-member Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of Parliament. Preliminary results are expected late Saturday.
Issues in the campaign include healthcare, pensions and taxes, the BBC reported.
The election campaign turned ugly, with numerous verbal conflicts and even fistfights between politicos. Last month, Health Minister David Rath and Miroslav Macek, a former deputy leader of the Civic Democrats, exchanged punches at a public meeting about Rath's policies.
