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00:00 A second round of voting for these Slovakians.
00:04 After neither of the presidential candidates reached the threshold needed to win last month's
00:08 vote, residents are heading to the polls to cast their ballots once again.
00:12 "I think it's important to express your values now.
00:20 By voting and who I vote for, I'm expressing a stance on those values."
00:26 "I'm an older generation, so democracy for me means being able to vote for someone, not
00:33 like it was before 1989."
00:36 Going head to head are Ivan Korchok, a pro-Western diplomat and former foreign minister, and
00:41 parliament speaker Peter Pellegrini, who is backed by the country's prime minister, Robert
00:46 Fidzo.
00:47 The war in Ukraine has become a key issue in the campaign after Fidzo questioned Ukraine's
00:52 sovereignty and has pursued a foreign policy which critics say is too friendly to Russia.
00:58 Although the office is mainly ceremonial, some voters view the election as crucial and
01:03 say the winner could serve as a check on Fidzo.
01:05 "Well, if Korchok wins, I believe it will be good for the country, you know, the balance.
01:11 Pellegrini, he's a Fidzo guy, so he will do anything what Fidzo asks him to do, and that
01:18 will be bad in general for the country, for the democracy and for the future."
01:24 The prime minister, meanwhile, has described Pellegrini as a quote "moderate" candidate
01:29 who recognises the value of peace.
01:32 With the two candidates neck and neck in the latest pre-election poll, it's set to be a
01:36 tight race.
01:37 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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