Two days of voting are underway in the Czech Republic's presidential election.

Opinion polls have suggested the pro-Russian incumbent Milos Zeman, a 73-year-old ex-communist, would lead the pack of nine candidates in the first round. But they also indicate that Jiri Drahos, the pro-European former head of the Czech Academy of Sciences, may win a second round with almost 50 percent of the vote against 44 percent for Zeman. Polling stations will close on Saturday afternoon.