Final Word from Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Václav Klaus threw cold water in MFD today on the idea of direct presidential elections, saying that some candidates could use them to ratchet up the situation even worse than under a parliamentary vote. Speaking in MFD on Sat., Václav Havel said he doesn't think MPs will ever agree to a constitutional law for instituting a popular presidential vote. Would anyone ever allow such nice powers to choose the president to be taken away, he asked? Well, let's see. What did Havel give the Communists in order to get elected in 1989? The court system, immunity from prosecution, control of key companies.... As the CR moves closer to a Putin-like system after Klaus became the "guarantor" of the Nečas government yesterday, Parliament might soon be beseeching Klaus to run for a third term. Perhaps MPs could persuade him to run by making one of the requirements that the candidates have prior experience in the job.[Czech Republic Vladimir Putin Russia]
Glossary of difficult words
Putinesque - the -esque suffix in English means "in the style of" or "resembling";
to throw cold water on - to criticize or stop something that some people are enthusiastic about;
to ratchet up - to cause to increase by increments;
to beseech - to ask someone urgently and fervently to do something; to implore, beg;
prior experience - meaning that only Klaus or Havel could run.