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Carolina (English) No 014
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STUDENT'S E-MAIL NEWS FROM CZECHOSLOVAKIA
School of Social Science of Charles University
Smetanovo nabr. 6
110 01 Prague 1
C.S.F.R.
e-mail address: CAROLINA@CSEARN.BITNET
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C A R O L I N A No 14, Friday, February 14, 1992.
LAST WEEK'S EVENTS ( from February 5, to February 12 ).
Frederik Willem de Klerk Visited Czechoslovakia.
The President of the South African Republic, F. W. de Klerk,
arrived in Prague on an official state visit to Czechoslovakia on
February 6th. It was the first visit in the history of mutual relations
between the two countries. The President spoke with the Czechoslovak
President Vaclav Havel, Prime Minister Marian Calfa and other
representatives of the state.
Vaclav Havel appreciated the reformist efforts of Frederik Willem
de Klerk, who is often called the South African Gorbatchev. During the
negotiations with Marian Calfa, the South African President showed
great interest in economic cooperation with Czechoslovakia. A South
African market for Czechoslovak goods could be opened and South African
capital could participate in privatization in Czechoslovakia.
Frederik Willem de Klerk left Prague for Poland on Friday,
February 7th.
The Treaty Proposal on State Structure Is Complete.
A joint commission of the Czech and Slovak Parliaments completed a
draft agreement on the future structure of a common state on Sunday,
February 10th, in Milovy, South Moravia.
The question of who specifically will be party to the treaty once
it is concluded ended in a compromise stating that it will be concluded
between the people of the Czech and Slovak Republics, represented by
their Republican Parliaments. According to the Treaty, both republics
may appeal to their right to sovereignty and leave the common state
only after a referendum affirms the population_s desire for
independence.
Strike.
A 24-hour strike of fifteen thousand bus drivers and 87% of the
enterprises of the Czechoslovak Bus Service started at midnight on
Sunday, February 9th and ran through Monday, Febr. 10th in the Czech
Republic.
There was no strike in Slovakia. The Slovak drivers expressed
their support for their Czech colleagues only symbolically. Acording to
the Slovac Minister of Transport, V. Pavle, the situation in Slovakia
is not as tense, since the subsidies to the passenger bus transport
have been reduced by only 10 % . In the Czech Republic they have been
reduced by 50 % .
" A strike in the middle of negotiations is not a strike, but
political pressure" , Karel Dyba, the Czech Minister of Economy and
Development said .
The representatives of the Independent Trade Union of Workers in
the Public Road Transport, who called the strike, deny it was political
in character and demand only that the conditions of bus transport be
made the same in the Czech Republic as in the Slovak Republic.
Trial of the Former Interior Minister Frantisek Kincl Continues.
Court Martial proceedings against former Minister of Interior
Frantisek Kincl, his deputy Alojz Lorenc, and former Chief of
Counterespionage Karel Vykypel continue in Prague with the testimonies
of witnesses.
On Wednesday, February 5th, Alexander Dubcek took the witness
stand to testify he was illegally detained in Prague on November 17th,
1989."The
Ministeres of the Interior, Defence and Foreign Affairs received orders
directly from the Presedium of the Central Committee of the Communist
Party" , Ladislav Adamec, the Czechoslovak Goverment ex-Premier and now
a deputy of the Federal Assembly, said the same day.
Opinion Poll.
According to an opinion poll ranking Czechoslovakia_s most
popular politicians, Vaclav Havel is the most popular politician in
the Czech Republic (89%) as well as in the entire Federation (82%). In
Slovakia, the most popular person is Alexander Dubcek (75%), who
replaced the perennial-leader, Slovak ex-Premier Vladimir Meciar (73%).
Jiri Diensbier, the Foreign Minister, placed second (67%) and
Economic Minister Vladimir Dlouhy placed third in the federal ranking.
The Institute of Public Opinion, who carried oout the polls in which
1,320 respondents from the whole republic participated, published the
names of the 10 most popular politicians. Rounding out the top six are:
4. Valtr Komarek, First Deputy Chairman of the Post - November Federal
Goverment and at present the Social Democratic Party nominee, 5. Petr
Miller, the Federal Minister of Work and Social Security, 6. Vaclav
Klaus, the Federal Finance Minister.
A Flu Epidemic.
A/H3N2 virus is the origin of the flu epidemic which has affected
285,897 citizens of the Czech Republic as of February 10th.
The same strain of virus has also hit Western Europe and the USA
this year. The flu lasts 5-7 days and is characterized by headaches,
fever, and respiratory congestion.
The most affected group has been children between 6-14. Schools
have announced "flu holidays". The hardest struck area has been
Northern and Western Bohemia and Southern Moravia. Last week the
epidemic spread to Southern Bohemia.
Sport
First Points for CSFR at the Olympic Games.
Biathlonist Adamickova (5th place) and the figure-skating couple
Kovarikova - Novotny (4th place) received first point for
Czechoslovakia at the Olympic Games in Albertville on Tuesday, February
11 th.
CULTURAL SERVICE.
Requiem for a Doll.
A hew Czech film, Requiem for a Doll, by the young director and
screenwriter Filip Renc, had its premiere in the Prague cinema Lucerna.
The film is based on a real event: in 1984, 26 girls burnt to death
during a fire in home for mentally retarded girls. Shocking facts about
the abuse of the patients came to light when a 16-year -old arsonist
was questioned. The horror story was covered by Josef Klima,
a journalist presently working for the magazine Reflex, and also
teaching at the Faculty of Social Sciences. The screenplay by Filip
Renc and another young director, Igor Chaun, draws on Klima_s report.
The film_s music was composed by the composer and guitar player Ondrej
Soukup. The leading role, the abused girl Marika, is played masterfully
by 15-year-old Anna Geislerova. Marika is sent to the home by mistake
and fights in vain for her release before finally setting the
institution on fire.
The film, which may be a thriller, will certainly initiate many
discussions, and the gueues outside the Lucerna cinema indicate that it
will attract a lot of attention. The film was also shown to
professional audiences in the USA.
Min Tanaka in the National Theatre
A representative of the world dance avant-guard, Japanese dancer
and choreographer Min Tanaka, performed in the National Theatre in
Prague on February 5-7th.
The performance, called Blessing of Spring, was inspired by a
well- known American sculptor, Richard Serra, and the Japanese composer
and musician Minora Noguci. Also dancing in the performance were Hisako
Korikawa and other members of the ensemble Mai-juku.
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