Press Review

The foiling of a terrorist plot to attack the United States with a so-called 'dirty bomb' makes the headlines in almost all of the main papers today. On the home front, the elections are given most attention with the papers featuring interviews with party leaders as well as articles that look at election campaigns and possible results.

Lidove noviny features an interview with Freedom Union leader Hana Marvanova and Christian Democrat Chairman Cyril Svoboda, whose parties represent the Coalition. Both express their dissatisfaction with the media, especially television stations, who they say have been telling voters that the elections will be a straight fight between the Social Democrats and the Civic Democrats - but do not mention the Coalition.

When asked who their candidates for Prime Minister would be, both leaders admit that they do not yet know, but add that they will come up with some names when necessary. Although the Coalition favours none of the two main opposition parties it would most probably turn to the Social Democrats if it were to chose a party for a grand coalition.

Mlada fronta Dnes writes politicians are getting nervous. Public opinion polls are no longer allowed and it's only three days to go before the elections get underway. With political parties in the final throws of their campaigns, concerts have become popular ways of trying to sway undecided voters.

The paper writes, however, that most bigger parties find it more effective to use the last few hours to slam the opposition. The main thrust of the Coalition and Civic Democratic Party's final campaign is therefore to attack the ruling Social Democrats via posters, flyers and speeches.

Hospodarske noviny examines the Czech police force and says that the Czech Republic, with its ten million citizens, has more police per capita than most other countries in Europe. Whilst the Czech Republic has one policeman to 218 citizens, neighbouring Austria has one to 253 and Germany one to 312.

The paper asks why Interior Minister Stanislav Gross is still attempting to attract new recruits. According to Mr Gross, new projects concerned with defence from terrorist attack as well as general security call for more police officers. This includes the so-called 'order police' who will be assisting organisers of the NATO summit in November.

Pravo features a smiling Prime Minister Milos Zeman, Trade and Industry Minister Miroslav Gregr, and Chairman of the State Office for Nuclear Safety, Dana Drabova in front of the Temelin nuclear power plant in South Bohemia. With elections drawing near, both Mr Zeman and Mr Gregr - two politicians who have always viewed Temelin as a priority - used the opportunity, during which test operation of the plant's first reactor went to full power, to say their goodbyes to the plant.

Mlada fronta Dnes reports on the birth of a child in the Czech Republic whose mother was fertilised by her husband's frozen sperm after he had died from cancer. The decision to do so resulted in a lot of disapproval from many and was even scorned by the Health Ministry. In order to protect the close to four month old baby, the news of its birth did not break until this month, and its gender has also been kept secret, the paper says.