Final Word from Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Even before she's had much time to recover from her overseas vacation, VV ViceChair Karolína Peake will be asked to make one of her most important politicaldecisions ever. As vice PM for combatting corruption, she'll have to decide whetherto post the revised public-procurement proposal on the internet before it's submittedto the second reading of Parliament on Sept. 7. More than 500 substantive changeswere proposed during the inter-agency review process, but only a few people at thedevelopment ministry - which also happens to be VV territory - know which oneswill be incorporated into the important next draft. If Peake helps to fend off anyattempts to weaken the bill, she'll gain a tremendous amount of credibility amonghonest businesspeople and fed-up voters. Her decision might also play a big role indetermining whether VV is able to survive beyond the next parliamentary elections.
Glossary of difficult words
tender - meaning both "gentle" and "a formal offer made by one party to another";
substantive - important, meaningful or considerable (not just typographical errors, for example);
to incorporate - to include; to contain or include something as part of a whole;
to fend off - to defend from a blow, attack or attacker;
fed-up - annoyed or upset at a situation or treatment.