MfD: Senator doubts public's choice for president

Prague, Feb 13 (CTK) - Czech citizens are unable to make a good choice of their president because they have unrealistic expectations from the head of state, Senate deputy chairman Petr Pithart (Christian Democrats, KDU-CSL) said last week, Erik Tabery writes in yesterday's issue of Respekt weekly.

Pithart delivered the speech shortly before the senators passed the constitutional law introducing the direct election of president in the Czech Republic. Czechs will elect their next president at the beginning of 2013.

Pithart, 71, was a signatory of the Charter 77 human rights manifesto under the communist regime and Czech prime minister (1990-1992). Since 1996, he has been either chairman or deputy chairman of the Senate. He announced that he would not be defending his senator's mandate in the autumn.

"To a great extent, people want a direct election to have somebody who would finally put things in order. This cannot come true," Tabery quotes Pithart as saying in the Senate.

Pithart argues that this wish might be fulfilled only if a new Tomas Garrigue Masaryk is found and a presidential system established in the country.

Pithart recalled the well-known fact that shortly after the foundation of Czechoslovakia, its first president Masaryk used more power than he was given under the constitution, Tabery writes.

"But it was and still is disturbing that the public did not mind it," he quotes Pithart as saying.

Pithart noted that incumbent President Vaclav Klaus was unwilling to follow the constitution even now when he refused to accept a dismissal of cabinet ministers or to sign the Lisbon Treaty, Tabery says.

When the president is elected by the people, this situation will become even worse, Pithart argued.

The logic of small powers and considerable legitimacy given by the election will lead to serious clashes between the government and the president, Tabery cites Pithart as pointing out.

Pithart believes that it will be almost impossible for the next head of Czech state to watch the government's steps and not intervene if he or she will not agree with them, Tabery says.

In such a situation, the president will use his or her strong voice and he or she may even call on the people to go in the streets to protest, according to Pithart.

Tabery says the first opinion polls indicate that the people would like a president who would oppose the politicians rather than a distinctive statesman.

Fortunately, there is still enough time to take Pithart's warning into account, Tabery concludes.