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Crooner may seek Czech presidency
By Luke Allnutt, Transitions Online
PRAGUE, Czech Republic -- His sickly sweet love ballads have tugged at the heartstrings of millions of Czech women. Now veteran crooner Karel Gott has revealed that he might run for president of the Czech Republic. Gott's candidacy was proposed by three musician friends at a press conference on Wednesday, and although the singer was absent, he issued a brief statement saying he would consider running for president if there were direct elections. Vaclav Havel, a former dissident playwright, ended his third and final presidential term on Monday, and the parliament has not yet chosen his successor. If the next round of voting ends in stalemate, then parliament has the power to change the constitution and authorize a popular vote. According to a recent survey by the Prague-based SC&C polling agency, 85 percent of Czechs said they favoured direct elections. Gott has been a permanent fixture on the Czech music scene since the early 1960s. The accolades are legion: the "Slavic Sinatra," the "Czech Sedaka," the "Golden Voice of Prague," the "King of Communist Kitsch." While little known in the United States, Gott is huge -- not just in the Czech Republic but also in Germany, where, in a Berlin wax museum, he stands between Elvis Presley and Jimi Hendrix. It is estimated that Gott has sold more than 27 million records worldwide. Ky Krauthamer, former culture editor of the English-language weekly The Prague Post, says that while he's no fan, Gott has "a good tenor voice, an essence of charm, [and] flashing dark eyes that have wooed the ladies." Gott was tolerated by the communist authorities, who were aware of his mass appeal, and was allowed to travel abroad. Unlike some of his contemporaries, Gott never defected and, in 1985, he was rewarded for his services and became a "National Artist." With the fall of communism in 1989, Gott quickly proved his adaptability. As demonstrators massed in Prague's main square and called for the communist government to step down, Gott sang a sterling rendition of the country's national anthem. In the 1990s, the music scene was enlivened with new local talent who turned their noses up at what they saw as Gott's outmoded, state-sanctioned warbling. But the deluge of new talent and previously banned foreign pop did little to damage Gott's career, and the artist's appeal proved durable. At the Czech music awards last year, Gott was voted best male singer -- for the 28th time. Like him or not, most Czechs seem to agree that a star-studded birthday engagement, a gala performance or a night of variety entertainment on television just wouldn't be the same without Gott. But some people are uncomfortable with Gott's actions under the communists and have accused the singer of being an opportunist. Two of Havel's former dissident friends refused to attend a farewell gala last week because Gott was also attending. Although Gott was never a member of the Communist Party, he signed a declaration against the Charter 77 human rights manifesto, of which Havel was a leading signatory. Some politicians and analysts say that Gott's statements may just be a ruse to provoke the parliament into action. Many Czechs are frustrated by their parliament's inability to choose a president in two rounds of voting. Gott told the daily Lidove noviny he doesn't think the matter will go far enough to warrant him becoming a formal candidate. He added: "I don't think it's for me. A little mistake would be enough. I'd say something not too diplomatic and there'd be an embarrassing situation. My position is clear: I hope that the politicians agree [on a candidate]." Czechs are split on whether Gott would make a good president. "I'm still hoping it's a joke," says translator Hana Skapova, shaking her head. But around the country, support groups have sprung up, petitions have been signed and T-shirts printed. Marketing manager Renata Jetmarova says she would vote for Gott as president: "If America can have a former actor as president, why can't we have a singer?"
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