Klaus supports Medvedev

Critics of President Václav Klaus have lined up to take shots at his response to a question posed to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev at a Dec. 8 press conference during Medvedev's two-day visit to Prague.

A reporter asked Medvedev to give his thoughts on the disputed election results in Russia that saw his and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's United Russia party lose nearly 80 seats in Parliament [Duma], but has still drawn accusations of fraud and ballot-stuffing, without which United Russia might have suffered an even greater defeat. The reporter also asked Medvedev for his comments about the mass protests that have been staged by anti-government groups, as well as about the allegations of police violence that have surfaced as authorities try to stamp out the demonstrations.

Though Medvedev obliged the reporter with a lengthy, if vague, answer supporting the police's reactions to the protests and denying the fraud allegations, Klaus - who was not asked his opinion about the situation in Russia - offered a swift rebuke of the question, and the Czech News Agency (ČTK) journalist who asked it.

"The elections are theirs, not ours," Klaus said, curtly, before a room full of representatives and dignitaries from the Czech Republic and Russia, as well as journalists from both countries. He added that he felt it inappropriate to ask a visiting head of state a question about a controversy occurring in his home country while he is abroad.

Medvedev

"It probably would not be appropriate either to ask President Medvedev what he thinks about the Wednesday strike of Czech teachers, whether it was justified or not," Klaus added, referring to the education workers' union's one-hour strike, which saw more than 1,600 schools across the country remain closed until 9 a.m.

"Comparing what is happening in Russia right now with these disputed elections with a one-hour teacher strike is ludicrous," said Jiří Pehe, a political analyst and head of the left-leaning Center for Social Market Economy and Open Democracy. "Falsified elections are an attack on democracy and a teacher's strike is a product of democracy. That our president is trying to equate those two things is very troubling."

One MP, who declined to be named for fear of repercussions from the Castle said some members of Prime Minister Petr Nečas' Cabinet who were at the press conference admitted to cringing when hearing the president's words, but added he will face little public criticism from any of the country's political elite.

"They won't say a thing," said the MP. "Nobody likes to challenge Klaus even when they disagree. This is one of those times."

Pehe agreed, saying Klaus still wields a very powerful sword when it comes to silencing his critics.

"It's a snake and mouse relationship," he said. "He gets away with whatever he wants to say. Most politicians do not share Klaus' views, but they're not strong enough to protect their liberal values and take him to task."

Political analyst Bohumil Doležal said Klaus' input on the issue was not necessary once Medvedev had given his answer.

"It would have been better if he had said nothing," he said.

For his part, the Russian president said he was not surprised by the election results and that the protests from angry voters are part of what it means to live in a democracy.

"What's happening [in Russia] is natural," he said. "Elections bring results which some like and some dislike. I think the political construction that resulted from the election corresponds to our citizens' interests. And they have a right to express their opinions, but it must be in the correct way without causing trouble."

Meanwhile, Medvedev, who also met with Nečas during his two-day stay in Prague, said he discussed the tender for the proposed expansion of the Temelín nuclear plant in south Bohemia with both the president and the prime minister.

"For us, this is a very interesting project and we would like to participate," he said.

A Russian-led consortium that includes Czech firm JS Škoda is one of three groups competing for the estimated 500 billion Kč tender.

"It's frightening that our president is trying to cover up for this increasingly totalitarian regime [in Russia] while he is meanwhile pushing to conclude strategic energy agreements with their country," Pehe said.

- Filip Šenk contributed to this report.

Jack Buehrer can be reached at
jbuehrer@praguepost.com