Conflict of disinterest

Green Chair Martin Bursík's common-law father in-law is Jiří Dienstbier, a potential presidential candidate. Bursík has resolved this possible conflict of interest by declining to promote Dienstbier or even to discuss him publicly as a candidate. In fact, Bursík's reported favorite is now Prof. Jan Švejnar, and Dienstbier's star is falling fast. Compare this to PM Mirek Topolánek, whose right-hand man, Marek Dalík, is the very incarnation of conflict of interest but is still very much in control. So what, Topolánek said yesterday, if Radar Coordinator Tomáš Klvaňa has ties to the PR adviser for the radar campaign, AMI Communications. Everyone knows everyone in the small CR, he said dismissively. It's easy to call this outrageous, un-Western and undemocratic, but Topolánek has a keen sense for what voters will tolerate. "Don't like it?" Topolánek asks in paraphrase. "Tough luck. I'm the PM." [Czech Republic station United States of America U.S. public relations]