PRAGUE (AP) – The Latest on the Czech Republic’s parliamentary vote (all times local):
3:45 p.m.
Voting has ended in the Czech Republic’s parliamentary election and early results show the centrist ANO (YES) movement led by populist billionaire Andrej Babis in the lead.
Czech billionaire and leader of the ANO 2011 political movement Andrej Babis gestures before casting his vote during the parliamentary elections in Pruhonice, Czech Republic, Friday, Oct. 20, 2017. Czechs are voting in a parliamentary election whose result could see yet another euro-skeptic government on the continent. Two hundred seats are up for grab in the lower house of Parliament in the two-day ballot that began on Friday. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
The Statistics Office says Saturday that ANO has received 31.7 percent of the vote after ballots from almost 15 percent of the polling stations have been counted.
Babis, the front-runner heading into the vote, has been critical of the European Union and his victory could result in another euroskeptic government in Central Europe. If he wins, he’s likely to become the country’s next prime minister, despite allegations of fraud linked to EU subsidies.
The Czech Republic’s most radical anti-migration, anti-EU party, Freedom and Direct Democracy, is in second with 11.7 percent of the vote so far and the Communists are third with 9.5 percent of the vote.
___
9 a.m.
Czech citizens are voting for a second day in a parliamentary election that could install another euroskeptic government in Central Europe.
Two days of balloting that started Friday are being held to fill 200 seats in the Czech Republic’s lower house of Parliament.
Voting wraps up on Saturday afternoon and results are expected late in the day.
The centrist ANO (YES) movement led by populist billionaire Andrej Babis was the front-runner heading into the election. Polls show he is likely to become the next prime minister despite allegations of fraud linked to EU subsidies.
Babis has been critical of the European Union; he opposes the EU’s quota system on redistributing refugees and setting a date for adopting the euro.
Eight parties and groupings are in line to win seats.
Czech billionaire and leader of the ANO 2011 political movement Andrej Babis casts his vote during the parliamentary elections in Pruhonice, Czech Republic, Friday, Oct. 20, 2017. Czechs are voting in a parliamentary election whose result could see yet another euro-skeptic government on the continent. Two hundred seats are up for grab in the lower house of Parliament in the two-day ballot that began on Friday. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
Czech billionaire and leader of the ANO 2011 political movement Andrej Babis smiles before casting his vote during the parliamentary elections in Pruhonice, Czech Republic, Friday, Oct. 20, 2017. Czechs are voting in a parliamentary election whose result could see yet another euro-skeptic government on the continent. Two hundred seats are up for grab in the lower house of Parliament in the two-day ballot that began on Friday. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
Czech billionaire and leader of the ANO 2011 political movement Andrej Babis answers questions to media after casting his vote during the parliamentary elections in Pruhonice, Czech Republic, Friday, Oct. 20, 2017. Czechs are voting in a parliamentary election whose result could see yet another euro-skeptic government on the continent. Two hundred seats are up for grab in the lower house of Parliament in the two-day ballot that began on Friday. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
Czech Republic’s President Milos Zeman prepares to cast his vote during the parliamentary elections in Prague, Czech Republic, Friday, Oct. 20, 2017. Czechs are voting in a parliamentary election whose result could see yet another euro-skeptic government on the continent. Two hundred seats are up for grab in the lower house of Parliament in the two-day ballot that began on Friday. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
Chairman of the Freedom and Direct Democracy party (SPD) Tomio Okamura speaks to journalists after casting his vote during the parliamentary elections in Prague, Czech Republic, on Friday, Oct. 20, 2017. The Czech Republic is holding parliamentary elections from Oct. 20 to 21, 2017. (Katerina Sulova/CTK via AP)
Chairman of Civic Democrats (ODS) Petr Fiala casts his vote in Brno, Czech Republic, on Friday, Oct. 20, 2017. The Czech Republic is holding parliamentary elections from Oct. 20 to 21, 2017. (Igor Zehl/CTK via AP)
A woman casts her vote during the parliamentary elections in Prague, Czech Republic, Friday, Oct. 20, 2017. Czechs are voting in a parliamentary election whose result could see yet another euro-skeptic government on the continent. Two hundred seats are up for grab in the lower house of Parliament in the two-day ballot that began on Friday. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
Chairman of the Czech Pirate party Ivan Bartos casts his vote during the parliamentary elections in Prague, Czech Republic, Friday, Oct. 20, 2017. Czechs are voting in a parliamentary election whose result could see yet another euro-skeptic government on the continent. Two hundred seats are up for grab in the lower house of Parliament in the two-day ballot that began on Friday. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
Chairman of the Freedom and Direct Democracy party (SPD) Tomio Okamura casts his vote during the parliamentary elections in Prague, Czech Republic, on Friday, Oct. 20, 2017. The Czech Republic is holding parliamentary elections from Oct. 20 to 21, 2017. (Katerina Sulova/CTK via AP)
Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.