BRATISLAVA, April 18 (Xinhuanet) -- Slovakia's former parliamentary speaker Ivan Gasparovic took an early lead over former Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar in the presidential election,the electoral committee said on Sunday.

    The committee said that with votes counted in 43 of 50 districts, Gasparovic, a one-time ally of Meciar, won 58.01 percent of the votes while Meciar gained 41.99 percent.

    The president is a largely ceremonial post in Slovakia a central European country which is set to join the European Union on May 1 together with nine other countries. Enditem