Final Word from Monday, February 6, 2006
Jiří Paroubek warned that if ODS wins the elections, there will be a "blue dictatorship." ODS, whose color is blue, would have the PM, the president, the head of the Senate, 13 of 14 regional governors and the mayors of many large cities. Furthermore, Paroubek said, Klaus has named a majority of the Constitutional Court justices and is on his way to having a majority of the appointees to the Czech National Bank board. Curiously, Paroubek agreed to a bill passed by the Senate on Fri. for moving the Securities Commission (SEC) and insurance oversight to the CNB. To follow Paroubek's logic, this gives Klaus control of all capital-markets oversight, yet Klaus's record on the subject is less than stellar. Sen. Petr Pithart criticized him for blocking the creation of the SEC, and it was a Klaus minister who gave away Česká pojišťovna. The oversight law will increase the pressure on the CNB to show it has no part in any new ODS dictatorship.[Czech Republic Ivan Kočárník Senator Premier Prime Minister]