President demands clarity on possible successors

President Vaclav Havel began the New Year with a warning: Do not forfeit the future of Czech democracy to "a closely-knit brotherhood" of self-interested political parties. The caution, issued in his annual address to the nation Jan. 1, came just days after his release from a Prague hospital, where he was treated for pneumonia. The president, who has endured chronic health problems since losing half of his right lung to cancer in 1996, appeared to have his own future, and that of his office, in mind when he made his remarks. Havel's speech, at times strongly worded and highly political, made clear his concern about who will replace him when he leaves public life. The 65-year-old president, the only one this land has known since the fall of communism in 1989, steps down at the end of his second term as Czech head of state next year. His successor will be chosen by Parliament, which has repeatedly rejected the idea of a direct presidential vote. With national elections expected in June, Havel urged public vigilance regarding his successor. Parties should openly announce their candidates for the post, he argued.