Czechs vote after bitter campaign

CZECH REPUBLIC: Czechs went to the polls yesterday after a bitter general election campaign in which mudslinging obscured a debate over how to reform the country.

Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek has vowed to take the opposition leader to court for accusing him of having links to the Prague Mafia, and to sue the chief of the Czech organised crime squad for suggesting he had sexual relations with the under-age daughter of a friend.

The allegations capped weeks of sniping between allies of Mr Paroubek, the leader of the Social Democrats, and supporters of Mirek Topolanek, whose Civic Democrats (ODS) narrowly led opinion polls ahead of voting yesterday and today.

The government says the robust economic growth it has nurtured during eight years in power allows it to afford a comprehensive welfare state, including free medical care and education. It supports steady reforms and adoption of the euro in 2010. But the ODS warns that heavy state spending is unsustainable, and will create a huge budget deficit if the economy slows down.

Mr Topolanek wants to cut pension and healthcare costs, slash bureaucracy and crack down on corruption. He also backs a 15 per cent flat tax rate, which critics say will only benefit the rich, and is vague on when Czechs should start using the single currency.

"Voters must decide if they want the Czech Republic to become the biggest laboratory in Central Europe, where experiments which have failed elsewhere in the world will be carried out," Mr Paroubek said yesterday of the ODS's reform plans.

"Or do they want a programme which will bring them up to the level of Western Europe in less than 10 years," asked the premier after casting his ballot.

He also dismissed as propaganda a report by organised crime squad chief Jan Kubice, which according to Czech media accuses the premier of blocking investigations into Mafia figures and of having sexual liaisons with the teenage daughter of an associate. Mr Topolanek denies his allies aired the allegations.