Press Review

All of today's front pages carry photos of US Secretary of State Colin Powell addressing members of the UN Security Council in an effort to convince them of the need for military action against Iraq. "Powell presents his case against Iraq", "The US files charges against Iraq" and "Saddam is done for" read some of the front page headlines.

Commentators agree that war seems inevitable under the circumstances, although the proof presented is not altogether convincing. "This is no longer a question of proof - it is a question of politics," says Mlada Fronta Dnes which argues that the US is determined to take military action against Iraq with or without the UN, with or without Europe's support. The international community is at a loss as to how to deal with Saddam but it is also at a loss as to how to deal with US president George Bush, the paper says.

"Saddam is a problem, but why the hypocrisy," asks the paper. Other "potentially unstable" countries are known to have nuclear weapons which the international community has no control over, and at least 13 countries are known to have developed biological weapons. Psychologically, Mr. Powell presented a powerful case against Iraq, the paper says. What we heard was so scary that one almost forgot to inquire about the proof. However it is painfully evident that a court of law would find the evidence presented insufficient.

Lidove Noviny says that while US Secretary of State Colin Powell and British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw presented a powerful case - the majority of UN member states would still like to see convincing evidence of these charges. The problem is that Mr. Powell and Mr. Straw have adopted the role of both state attorney and judge. The latter belongs to the United Nations, Lidove Noviny argues. Saddam needs to be removed but the price of this action should not be a major rift in the international community of nations. Saddam does not deserve another chance, but the UN does, the paper concludes.

Another big story on today's front pages is Parliament's inability to provide the Czech Republic with a new head of state. Lidove Noviny calls it "mission impossible" and predicts that the governing coalition will not be able to reach agreement on a joint candidate, opening the way for direct presidential elections. The paper slams the governing Social Democrats saying that discord within the party is largely to blame for this farce.

"Farce" is the word that Mlada Fronta Dnes has also used to describe the two rounds of Presidential elections which failed to produce a successor to the former president Vaclav Havel. It was the public's disgruntled reaction to this farce which produced the mock-candidacy of the country's aging pop-idol Karel Gott, notes the paper. On the other hand, it adds, if it comes to direct presidential elections we should prepare to choose from a colorful list of candidates - in which the name Karel Gott may be one of the sanest. In an interview for today's Lidove Noviny, Mr. Gott himself treats the whole thing as a joke, saying he never had any intention of running for the presidential office.

The mock-proposal for singer Karel Gott to replace playwright Vaclav Havel at Prague Castle appears to have broken the tension created by Parliament's futile efforts and both the public and the media are "playing" with the idea, taking it further. According to Mlada Fronta Dnes, hockey fans claim that there is no one better suited to rule at Prague Castle than Dominik Hasek - the Dominator.