Kováč left office at the end of his five year-term. The country‘s bitterly divided parlament could not agree on a compromise candidate and no grouping in parliament was then strong enough to muster the three-fifths majority needed to find a solution. The new reform-minded coalition government decided not to use its majority to vote in a candidate through parliament and changed the constitution to allow a direct ballot by the electorate. A second round of voting would be held on May 29 if no candidate took more than 50 percent at the first ballot on May 15. The deadline for nomination of candidates was set at April 9. No candidates have yet officially applied, but the ruling coalition has already said it would support the candidacy of R. Schuster.