Press Review

The main message to be found on every front page today could be expressed by two words "President Wanted". The search for a new Czech president continues and following Parliament's failure to elect a new head of state in the second round of elections last Friday, commentators are growing skeptical regarding the possibility of finding an early replacement for outgoing president Vaclav Havel.

The fragmentation on the Czech political scene is such that it will be almost impossible to find a universally acceptable candidate, says Lidove Noviny. Mlada Fronta Dnes agrees and argues in favour of a direct presidential election by the people. Of course there is the possibility that the public will elect a "media clown" the paper says, but at least it will be their media clown and they will know they have only themselves to blame. Who is to say that a president born of political bargaining will prove better?

Parliament's failure to produce the next head of state has inevitably highlighted a lingering crisis within the Social Democratic Party, with deputies dividing their votes between different candidates in both rounds of the presidential elections. This resulted in an embarrassing defeat for both of the Social Democrat candidates and gave fresh proof of the fact that there is an ongoing power struggle within the strongest party in government.

The presidential election thus created a minor storm within the party and although party leader Vladimir Spidla appears to have weathered the crisis for the time being, Pravo warns Mr. Spidla that his weakness may cost him his post. There are people in the party who would like to see Mr. Spidla's predecessor, ex-premier Zeman back in power and they have not thrown in the towel yet, the paper says.

Being "nice and considerate" is fine, but those are not qualities a party leader can long survive on, Pravo notes. Mr. Spidla should keep in mind that there are times when a leader must be strong and even ruthless in laying down the rules. There is no question that the former prime minister Milos Zeman would ever have tolerated such behaviour from party opponents, which is why his seat never toppled under him, the paper says.

With a UN inspection report on Iraq due later today there is a growing feeling of urgency regarding the possibility of war. The papers provide details of the involvement the Czech chemical unit stationed in Kuwait and cite a speech by the US Secretary of State Colin Powell regarding America's preparedness to launch a military strike on its own.

Europe is bracing for war, says Mlada Fronta Dnes noting that the Czech interior and defense ministries have tightened security around key locations following an alleged intelligence report last week according to which Germany, France, Great Britain and the Czech Republic may become targets of terrorist attacks by Arab extremists. Although no details had been published, the paper says that according to an inside source the dangers include suicide attacks in public transport such as perpetrated in Israel, the destruction of bridges and even the possibility of a chemical or biological attack.

The papers also carry details of the first public demonstration against the war on Iraq here in the Czech Republic. Some two hundred people, many of them members of the Anglo-American community in Prague, are shown standing outside the US embassy chanting peace slogans and expressing anti-Bush sentiments.