Anti-corruption platform still alive

The 39 steps being promoted by the Platform for Transparent Public Procurement might not have posed much of an obstacle to the very resourceful Jaroslav Kopřiva at the defense ministry, but in most other cases the changes would improve the tender process. Although HN announced the death of the Platform on June 30, another meeting will be held today and key politicians continue to support it. These include PM Petr Nečas and Development Minister Kamil Jankovský, who told Czech TV that he wants the Platform to act as an adviser in the legislative process. Michal Hašek of ČSSD also went on record as criticizing the coalition for not embracing the Platform's changes more enthusiastically. Perhaps the biggest risk to the effort is that Miroslav Kalousek of TOP 09 will think that, like the sacking of Kopřiva, the Platform is some sort of a ODS-VV conspiracy against him and his byznysmeny friends.