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Former victims of Czechoslovak communism, coerced into special military units and deployed as forced labor, said Czech President Milos Zeman jeopardizes democracy in the nation and sullies its human-rights record.

Zemans recent interview in Chinese TV, in which he said hed come to learn how to stabilize a society, borders on treason, according to the Association of Auxiliary Technical Battalions, used by the communists to punish political dissidents with hard labor such as uranium mining.

Zeman, the first popularly elected president since the Czech Republic was founded in 1993, has drawn criticism for his refusal to condemn human-rights abuses in Russia and China, and shocked Czechs with repeated vulgarities during a live radio broadcast last month. He was booed by egg-tossing crowds during a Nov. 17 commemoration of the 25 anniversary of the Velvet Revolution that led to the collapse of the communist regime.

The result of the direct presidential election convinced us that our country isnt ready for this kind of ballot, the association said in a statement, published by the CTK newswire. Its still susceptible to populist influences.

Zeman has also refused to condemn Russia for annexing Crimea from Ukraine in March, and after charges by the U.S. and European Union that its fueling a separatist rebellion in eastern Ukraine.

The association of the communism victims called for abolition of the direct presidential ballot, which propelled Zeman into office last year. Before Zemans election, the countrys presidents, including former President Vaclav Havel, were selected by parliamentary vote.

To contact the reporter on this story: Ladka Bauerova in Prague at lbauerova@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: James M. Gomez at jagomez@bloomberg.net; Will Kennedy at wkennedy3@bloomberg.net Peter Laca

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Victims of Communism Say Czech President Endangers Democracy