Czech president swears in for 2nd term

PRAGUE, March 8 (Xinhua) -- Newly-elected Czech President Milos Zeman swore in for his second term on Thursday afternoon at the Vladislav Hall of the Prague Castle, the presidential seat.

In his inaugural speech, he said he wanted to promote active citizenship in his second term. He called for the introduction of elements of direct democracy, in particular the introduction of a direct election of mayors and regional governors. He also called for an active participation of citizens in public affairs.

During his past term, Zeman was criticised for a number of controversial statements he made -- including vulgar words -- the selection of his aides, his effort to "punish" his critics and what he called "using the Constitution of the Czech Republic in a creative way."

He has been criticized for dividing society and some expect him to become even more radical during his second term.

Zeman was elected President of the Czech Republic in January 2013. He is the first directly-elected President in Czech history. In January 2018, Zeman defeated former science academy chairman Jiri Drahos in the second round of presidential elections, allowing him to hold on to his post as the head of state. Enditem