Final Word from Monday, February 27, 2006
Bulldozers are heavy, cumbersome pieces of equipment that operate safely at a speed of around 20 miles per hour. Jiří "Bulldozer" Paroubek goes a mile a minute, which inevitably means that he, like a Caterpillar with bad brakes, sometimes lands in the ditch. And so it was when he took revenge on Justice Minister Pavel Němec on Fri. by leaking news that the police were investigating Němec for a meeting he had with a Qatar official last year. After the recent string of leaks and secret meetings, there can be no doubt that the courts, police and prosecutor's office are mere extensions of the executive branch. Forget about divisions of power. It's become trite to say that such a revelation in a developed democracy would lead to resignations. For Paroubek, it merely means he shifts into even higher gear, plows his way out of the ditch, and tramples anything or anyone in his way. [Czech Republic prince extradition US-DEU]