Klaus, whose re-election as president the ODS eagerly promoted and pushed through in February, said on Thursday that in his opinion Morava's case "is not a failure of individuals.
It is a failure of the system, of the political style," Hekrdla recalls.These are serious words, as "a system" is a complex of interlinked elements where everything is mutually tied. This also applies to the ODS system, where not only Morava, but also other protagonists, such as MP Vlastimil Tlusty, Local branch of Czech ODS to decide on Tlusty's membership soon ...
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Czech PM Topolanek dismisses abuse of power allegations ... party chairman and PM Mirek Topolanek, his aide Marek Dalik and deputies' group head Petr Tluchor, are nothing but various elements of the same Augean Stables, which are impossible to cleanse as dirt keeps their walls together, Hekrdla writes.Morava put it perfectly when he conceded that by his controversial activities he wanted to create his "own story" and enhance his career in the ODS. This means he viewed his "own story" as compatible with the ODS system, Hekrdla says.The matadors of the "ODS dunghill", such as Tluchor and Dalik, might have challenged or underestimated a concrete case Morava had submitted to them, but not in general his motivation or the method and system of work he used, Hekrdla points out.To defend itself, the system (ODS) uses totalitarian practices known not only from Prussia and Russia. It is doing its utmost to transfer the problem exclusively on individuals, either alleged organisers (Tlusty) or erring "actually victims" (how Topolanek originally labelled Morava), Hekrdla writes.Journalists, on their part, have been branded organised hostile forces applying dirty practices such as hidden camera, he says. Vlastimil Tlusty definitely will not meet the ODS's appeal that he step down as an MP and leave the party, but it is clear that he and Topolanek cannot both remain part of the ODS leadership after the next general elections, Pavel Verner writes elsewhere in Pravo.What their "weapons" are at the moment? he asks.Topolanek firmly controls his party, irrespective of the blows he now and then receives from Klaus, from ODS first deputy chairman Pavel Bem, from the junior ruling Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL) and from the trio of ODS rebel deputies that includes Tlusty and is occasionally joined by others, Verner writes.Furthermore, Topolanek can be sure of Tlusty and his people not sinking the government as this would mean their end in high politics, Verner adds.Tlusty, on his part, is evidently capable of even incredible conduct (such as having himself photographed with a young girl in a whirlpool bath).His another advantage is the fragility of the government coalition. To preserve the government, the ODS goes counter to its supporters, Verner writes, referring to numerous concessions the ODS has made to the junior ruling Greens and the KDU-CSL.Tlusty also seems to enjoy a tacit, almost illegal support from President Klaus and from the Prague City Hall, dominated by the ODS and Bem, Prague mayor, Verner writes.Above all, Tlusty does not bear the responsibility Topolanek is burdened with, which makes possible for him to criticise the latter's straying from the ODS programme, Verner writes.Unfortunately for Tlusty, the Morava scandal with discrediting materials, which Tlusty had prepared along with journalists, broke up too long before the general election, due in 2010 and it is unlikely to harm Topolanek in the polls, Verner writes. The draft new Czech civil code, which might in fact abolish church marriages seems logical at first sight, but at second glance it amounts to "bureaucratic nonsense," Martin Komarek writes in the daily Mlada fronta Dnes.Civil marriage is a contract between two adults. Nevertheless, it is a contract guaranteed by the state, which imposes duties on and grants advantages to the contractual parties, Komarek writes.In addition, people have always ascribed religious meaning to marriage, which, however, is not enforceable by law, Komarek continues.The Catholic Church bans divorce, among others. Despite this, Catholics get divorced.Islam allows a husband to have more wives. A Muslim in the Czech Republic, who would marry if only two women, would be punished under the Czech law, irrespective of his religion, Komarek writes.The draft civil code enables all people to celebrate marriage in a way they like. However, they have to undergo yet another, obligatory ceremony before authorities representing the state, Komarek writes.This is actually a silly condition. Justice Minister Jiri Pospisil (Civic Democrats, ODS) deserves praise for having dissociated himself from the draft, Komarek continues.It must be enough for the state if the newlyweds meet all criteria for getting married and if they deliver their wedding contract in writing or by e-mail for the state to enter it in official registries, Komarek points out.It is nonsense to oblige newlyweds to undergo another, state-acknowledged wedding ceremony, except for the case the state wanted to earn more money this way, he concludes with sarcasm.
(Ceske Noviny)
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