Anti-graft campaigner Caputova leads Slovak presidential election first round

Anti-corruption campaigner Zuzana Caputova led Slovakia's presidential election first round with 39.1 percent of votes after results from half of polling stations were counted, statistics office data showed on Saturday. The ruling Smer party's candidate, European Commissioner Maros Sefcovic, was second with 18.8 percent.

Despite having no previous experience of public office, Caputova was set to take pole position for the second round of the election as voters spurn the Smer party a year after the murder of a journalist sparked mass protests. (Reporting by Tatiana Jancarikova and Robert Muller Editing by Marguerita Choy)