Sawt Falasteen - Czech ex-PM who wants to halt Ukraine aid set to win vote

The ex-premier's expected return to power could draw the Czech Republic -- an ally of Ukraine -- closer to EU mavericks Hungary and Slovakia which have refused military aid to Ukraine and oppose sanctions on Russia.

Babis, 71, is campaigning in the EU and NATO member of 11 million people on pledges of welfare and halting military aid to Ukraine.

Many voters blame the centre-right coalition government of Prime Minister Petr Fiala for ignoring domestic problems while providing aid to Ukraine.

Casting his ballot in the eastern city of Ostrava, Babis said: "Nothing is certain, we haven't won yet".

Babis's ANO ("Yes") party tops the opinion polls with support exceeding 30 percent, ahead of Fiala's Together grouping with about 20 percent.

- 'East or west' -

Polling stations will close at 1200 GMT on Saturday, with the results expected in the evening.

Czech media reported voter turnout was higher on Friday, the first day of voting, than in the last election in 2021.

Describing himself as a "peacemonger" calling for a truce in Ukraine, Babis has vowed a "Czechs first" approach -- echoing US President Donald Trump.

When he was prime minister from 2017 to 2021, Babis was critical of some EU policies and is on good terms with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Slovakia's Robert Fico, who have maintained ties with Moscow despite its invasion of Ukraine.

Voting at a Prague school, retired engineer Jan Kovanic told AFP he did not like Babis's idea of "managing the country like a company".

"Andrej Babis expresses his liking and personal friendship towards Orban and Fico and we know what they have done to Hungary and Slovakia. He probably wants the same here," he added.

Fiala, a 61-year-old former political science professor, said the vote was "deciding the direction of the Czech Republic .. whether we head into the past or into the future, whether our path goes east or west", after he cast his ballot in the second city of Brno.

- 'Pro-Russian propaganda' -

But Charles University analyst Josef Mlejnek told AFP he did not expect "a fundamental change" if Babis wins.

"Babis is a pragmatic businessman and the only thing he cares about is being prime minister," he added.

Analysts caution, however, that all will depend on the election results.

If Babis's party comes first but fails to win a majority, he could try to pursue a coalition with the far-right Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD), which is expected to gain about 12 percent, according to surveys.

US factchecking organisation American Sunlight Project reported on Friday that SPD has spent thousands of dollars on online advertisements without the necessary disclosures, more than 10 times the amount of Babis's and Fiala's parties on such ads.

The group examined records of advertisements from 2019 till September 24.

A group of analysts said last week that Czech-language accounts on TikTok reaching millions of viewers "systematically spread pro-Russian propaganda and support anti-system parties through manipulated engagement".

The European Commission held an "emergency meeting" with TikTok on Thursday "in the context of the Czech elections", after which the social media platform removed "several bots", commission spokesman Thomas Regnier said.

Z.AlNajjar--SF-PST