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| Slovakia voters choose new president | |
| (about 20 hours later) | |
| Slovakians have been voting in a presidential election that pits the current prime minister against an independent challenger. | |
| PM Robert Fico - seen as the frontrunner - and businessman-turned-philanthropist Andrej Kiska are among 14 candidates standing. | |
| Opinion polls suggest a two-candidate run-off vote will follow as no-one is expected to win an outright majority. | |
| Mr Fico's left-wing Smer party won the parliamentary election in 2012. | |
| The 49-year-old had previously served as prime minister from 2006-10, pursuing an anti-austerity agenda. | |
| Since the 2012 elections his party has governed alone - the first time since independence that a party secured an absolute majority in the Slovak parliament. | |
| Slovakia's president has the power to appoint the prime minister, as well as the main figures in the judiciary. | |
| However, it is a largely ceremonial role and parliament exercises legislative power. | However, it is a largely ceremonial role and parliament exercises legislative power. |
| The BBC's Rob Cameron, in Prague, says that Mr Fico's bid for the presidency is seen as an attempt to make his domination of Slovak politics total. | |
| Public anger | Public anger |
| Outgoing President Ivan Gasparovic was elected for the first of two five-year terms in 2004 as voters united against former Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar. | |
| Slovakia adopted the euro in 2009 during Mr Fico's previous term as prime minister. | Slovakia adopted the euro in 2009 during Mr Fico's previous term as prime minister. |
| The country has since seen significant economic growth. | |
| Past governments had been blamed for privatisation scandals and other forms of corruption. | |
| Analysts say challenger Andrej Kiska is riding a wave of continuing popular anger at allegations of sleaze and distrust in established parties. | |
| The 51-year-old says he wants to fight corruption and create a more efficient government. | |
| Other candidates in Saturday's vote include actor Milan Knazko, who was a leading figure of the 1989 Velvet Revolution that ended Communist rule in Czechoslovakia, and Radoslav Prochazka, an independent conservative lawmaker with a degree from Yale Law School. | Other candidates in Saturday's vote include actor Milan Knazko, who was a leading figure of the 1989 Velvet Revolution that ended Communist rule in Czechoslovakia, and Radoslav Prochazka, an independent conservative lawmaker with a degree from Yale Law School. |
| Saturday's first round is unlikely to produce an outright winner, who would need over 50% of the vote, but is expected to send Mr Fico and Mr Kiska into a run-off on 29 March. | Saturday's first round is unlikely to produce an outright winner, who would need over 50% of the vote, but is expected to send Mr Fico and Mr Kiska into a run-off on 29 March. |