Spidla's gang of thieves

ODS vowed again over the weekend to do all it can to bring down the Špidla cabinet. ODS leaders admit, though, that the government will likely last until the regular elections in 2006. ODS Vice Chair Jan Zahradil told HN that his party doesn't want to get its hands dirty in an interim government. ODS increased its criticism of the cabinet, calling it "anti-European, cronyistic, pro- corruptive" and a "gang of thieves." At the same time, ODS is stressing its own strong desire to privatize almost everything. ODS, with the help of KDU Chair Miroslav Kalousek and perhaps Finance Minister Bohuslav Sobotka, seems to want to create conditions for allowing the Špidla cabinet to continue with its less- than-transparent transactions, as long as everyone is taken care of. When ODS forms the next government with either KDU-ČSL or ČSSD, Špidla will then get all the blame. Vladimír