About 6,000 polling stations opened at 7:00 am (0500GMT). More than four million eligible voters have until 10:00 pm (2000GMT) to cast their ballots with results expected during the night.

Incumbent Ivan Gasparovic, 68, a lawyer and experienced politician, won the first round election two weeks ago with 46.7 percent of the vote -- well ahead of his female rival Iveta Radicova, 52, who scored 38 percent.

"I chose the female candidate because I trust her," said 76-year-old pensioner Anita in the centre of the capital Bratislava.

"I voted for Slovakia, I don't want any Obama here," said another pensioner, who refused to give her name, referring to Radicova's campaign slogan "Yes, we can," borrowed from US President Barack Obama.

...In the last few days, the campaign has centered around nationalist issues, as the country is home to two large minorities, Romas in the east, and Hungarians in the south. Radicova won several southern regions inhabited mostly by the Hungarian minority who make up 10 percent of the population.

(That's an understatement... the hate'nationalist' campaign was ugly. Even in both television debates, the main sparring was about autonomy and Beneš decrets and Radičová's support from the Hungarian minority party.)
 

_{*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

Czech dailies write open letter to US president, EU leaders

Czech dailies on Saturday published an open letter to US President Barack Obama and European Union leaders, protesting a recently introduced law they say restricts press freedom. The law, which took effect April 1 prohibits the publication of police wiretappings and bans media from naming the victims of crimes. Sentences for breaking the legislation dubbed "muzzle law" run to five years behind bars and fines of up to five million crowns (225,000 dollars). The dailies said they'd published the open letter in order to highlight the problem and trigger a discussion on the necessity of freedom of speech.

Brown gives grudging blessing to his old rival's return to new job at centre of the global stage

Tony Blair has emerged as the leading candidate to become the first permanent president of the European Union after Gordon Brown gave his grudging blessing to the plan. The former prime minister has stepped up his campaign for the job, which he wants to use to build a bridge between Europe and the new Obama administration.

His return to the global stage would be a shock to his critics over the Iraq war and dismay many in Europe.

But The Independent on Sunday has learnt that Mr Brown has accepted that his old rival should be in pole position for the appointment, on the basis that Britain needs to have a key figure in the architecture of the "new world order".