Retired Czech army general Pavel wins presidential election

By KAREL JANICEK
Associated Press

PRAGUE (AP) — A retired army general has defeated a populist billionaire in a runoff vote to choose the new president of the Czech Republic. With the ballots from 99.5% of polling stations counted Saturday, Petr Pavel had 58.2% of the vote compared with 42.8% for Andrej Babis, who conceded defeat. The 61-year-old Pavel will succeed controversy-courting Milos Zeman in the largely ceremonial but prestigious post.  Pavel, who ran as an independent, is a former chairman of NATO’s military committee, the alliance’s highest military body. He fully endorsed the Czech Republic’s military and humanitarian support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s invasion and stresses the importance of the country’s membership in the European Union and NATO.