Claims of Mafia links ignite Czech poll race

CZECH REPUBLIC: Allegations of government links to the Prague Mafia and a brawl between political enemies have ignited the Czech election race with less than a fortnight to go before polling day.

Prime minister Jiri Paroubek has filed a criminal complaint for defamation of character against opposition leader Mirek Topolanek, after he used a televised debate to accuse his rival of having contacts with organised crime gangs in the Czech capital.

Corruption is a major issue in elections due on June 2nd-3rd, which could see Mr Paroubek's ruling Social Democrats ousted by the Civic Democrats (ODS) led by Mr Topolanek and his potential allies in the Christian Democrats and the Green Party.

"Statements by. . . Topolanek are not based on the truth. The prime minister does not have any contacts with the Prague underworld, nor with organised crime," the premier's spokeswoman said in a statement after the leaders traded insults in the debate.

"Mr Topolanek does not have any proof for such a statement," she added.

In response, Mr Topolanek said he had only repeated information that was regularly aired in the Czech media about alleged links between top Social Democrats and the Mafia.

"He made about 10 statements in the debate for which I could sue him," the opposition leader said. "But I will not. He seems to be hysterical," he said of Mr Paroubek.

Most Czechs watched the debate with a mixture of amusement and disgust.

"It was incredibly cheap, an example of how the whole campaign looks," said analyst Rudolf Kucera.

Fellow commentator Bohuslav Dolezal complained of an "awful pub-talk flavour, when Paroubek is vulgar and Topolanek has learned to respond in kind". The tawdry campaign, full of mudslinging and muttered allegations of shady dealing, was enlivened if not elevated by a confrontation between former ODS chairman Miroslav Macek and health minister David Rath, at a usually sedate congress of dentists.

Mr Macek, an adviser to Czech president Vaclav Klaus, interrupted his address to walk behind the seated Mr Rath and slap him hard on the back of the head, to the astonishment of the assembled dentists.

Televised footage showed the two men then take a series of wild swings at each other, before being pulled apart by security guards.

Mr Macek said he had slapped the health minister for allegedly implying in a newspaper interview that he had married his new wife for her money.