World Notes REVOLUTIONS

Tidying up after revolutions, even bloodless ones, can be messy. In Poland last week, Solidarity leader Lech Walesa attempted to fire Adam Michnik, editor in chief of the union's daily newspaper, Gazeta Wyborca. Feeling increasingly left out of the government that he helped create, Walesa is seeking to become the country's President; his sacking of Michnik is seen as nothing but a vain attempt to show that he is still capable of exerting power. But Michnik refused to step down, telling Walesa: "You are slowly changing into a Caesar."

In Czechoslovakia the government questioned five former Communist leaders, including General Secretary Milos Jakes, over their role in the 1968 Warsaw Pact invasion of their country. But the move was taken on the eve of the country's first free elections since 1946, and thus was seen as a bit of cheap political opportunism by Civic Forum, President Vaclav Havel's ruling coalition and easy winner at the polls.