Final Word from Friday, August 29, 2008
Even by the primitive standards of post-Communist politics, Prague 5 is a strange beast. It's run by a notorious ODS henchman, Milan Jančík, with the direct blessing of Prague Mayor Pavel Bém and ČSSD Chair Jiří Paroubek, who happens to be the ČSSD chapter chairman in the city district. A grand coalition of ODS and ČSSD rules in Prague 5, but - as strange as it may sound - members of both parties are also in the "grand opposition." Not everyone, it seems, wants to be implicated when the unholy Jančík-Paroubek alliance fractures. This could happen either as a result of an attack on Paroubek by the Zeman-Šlouf crowd, or as a side effect to an attack on Bém. The "Bém system" as overseen by Jančík and Paroubek in Prague 5 has spun completely out of control and is now meaning "settlements" of even eight or nine digits. Milan Jančík is a very big man, and both ODS and ČSSD will want to run for the high ground once his boat starts rocking. [Czech Republic city hall Miloš Miroslav corruption]
Glossary of difficult words
notorious - famous or well known, typically for some bad quality or deed;
henchman - a faithful follower or political supporter, esp. one prepared to engage in crime or dishonest practices by way of service;
implicated - shown to be involved in a deed or crime;
to fracture - to break or cause to break;
side effect - a secondary, typically undesirable effect;
high ground - land that is higher than the surrounding area; a position of (moral) superiority.