Czech press survey - July 10

Sidlo writes that the problem is that Fischer seems to be the sole presidential candidate capable of stopping former Social Democrat head and PM Milos Zeman on his way to Prague Castle.

Sidlo describes Zeman as a politicians whose past is as dark as his present and whose connections and funding pose a direct risk to the country.

Unfortunately, Fischer´s campaign as yet only supports the voices that say that Zeman, unlike Fischer, at a least a personalty with his own credible story, opinions and firm stands, whatever this may mean, Sidlo writes.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Necas said on the site of a World War Two Romany internment camp in Lety near Pisek, south Bohemia, today what one whole generation was waiting for, Zbynek Petracek writes in Lidove noviny.

Necas said Romanies were purposefully interned at Lety, that the purpose of this was their liquidation, that it was a genocide and that also the authorities of the Nazi-sponsored Bohemia and Moravia Protectorate participated in the whole mechanism, Petracek writes.

He says the event today had one dark point, however. It was not prepared in cooperation with Romany representatives.

The frenetic activity of Czech Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek (TOP 09) in connection with the accusation of his party fellow member, former defence minister Vlasta Parkanova, over the purchase of CASA planes for the military, is a good opportunity to highlight the broad apparatus of the ministry´s Financial Analytical Unit (FAU), Lenka Zlamalova writes elsewhere in Lidove noviny.

The police do not enjoy the powers of the FAU that has the privilege to break through the banking secret while the secret services need the court´s consent if they want to access accounts, Zlamalova writes.

She writes that it is the sole unit that does not need but a suspicion of an unusual transaction to be able to check the bank account while this may mean anything.

FAU employees, who are civilians, including ten former police, account to their minister only, and they have access to information that is taboo for their former colleagues from the anti-corruption police, Zlamalova writes.

She writes that Kalousek´s stepped-up activities on the "hunting ground" of the anti-corruption police only remind of that the government wanted to increase the independence of the powerful financial unit of one minister with assuming the right to appoint its director and with making the whole government responsible for the unit, Zlamalova writes.

Author: ČTK
www.ctk.cz