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The leading newsstory on all front pages is the latest twist in
political efforts to form the next Czech cabinet. The sudden
understanding which has sprung up between the long-time arch rivals, the Social Democrats and the ODS, is seen by all commentators as an
amusing game of political poker, or as one commentator puts it - the
new allegiance is a stick with which to beat potential coalition
partners into submission. Not least, it is a way of teaching President
Havel -a thorn in the side of both Zeman and Klaus - a lesson, says
Miroslav Musil of Lidove Noviny.
Both politicians' enormous egos have
been hurt by Havel's criticism of their party leadership and his call
for new younger faces in politics. What is not perfectly clear is how
far the two arch rivals are prepared to take the charade if thwarted.
A broad coalition - improbable as it still appears to all- could have
far reaching consequences, including a radical change of the electoral
system from proportional to majority, Jiri Hannak of Pravo notes. It
would be the beginning of a new era in modern Czech politics, Lidove
Noviny agrees.
Mlada Fronta Dnes notes in this connection that under
the circumstances, a broad coalition would amount to voter betrayal.
The two parties have totally inconsistent policy programmes - indeed
Vaclav Klaus launched a pre-election red-scare telling Czech voters
his arch rival would turn back the clock and threaten democracy in the
Czech Republic. A coalition of those two parties would amount to the
message that a finger in the political pie means more to them than do
principles and vision, Mlada Fronta Dnes notes.
The closely followed political debates have slightly overshadowed the
deregulation of rent, electricity and gas prices, which goes into
effect today, as well as the valorisation of old age pensions. The
economics daily predicts that thousands of families will be forced to
ask for social compensation to shoulder the burden, while Pravo says
2 million people will feel the impact of this deregulation very
strongly indeed.
And finally, following the Republicans' election
defeat Mlada Fronta Dnes carries the remorseful statement of prominent
party leader Josef Krejsa. Krejsa who was the chief architect of the
party's racist policy has asked forgiveness of all those whom he hurt
by his "inconsiderate statements" above all Romanies and Jews. Krejsa
said he wanted to turn a new leaf, and lead a better life outside of
politics.
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