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Carolina (English) No 004
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STUDENT'S E-MAIL NEWS FROM CZECHOSLOVAKIA
Faculty of Social Science of Charles University
Smetanovo nabr. 6
110 01 Prague 1
Czechoslovakia (Europe)
e-mail (Bitnet) address: FSVUKA@CSEARN
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C A R O L I N A No 4, Friday, November 25, 1991.
The E-mail News from Czechoslovakia
This news may be published only with the "CAROLINA" designation.
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LAST WEEK's EVENTS
The president asks the people for help
This title is used by Czech daily newspaper "Mlada fronta Dnes" in the
articel about televized speech of president Havel on Sunday, 17 th of
November. Vaclav Havel said he would present five proposals of his own
to the Federal Assembly /the name of Czechoslovak parliament/:
1.Amendment of the constitutional referendum law that allows the
President to declare referendum on own authority with the agreement of
the federal government/ this clause was excluded from previous
negotiations about referendum/. The President may call a referendum only
on the condition of 20% of Czech or Slovak agreement of voters.
2. Amendment of Czechoslovak law on federation to include federal
constitution after ratification of national parliaments.
3. Constitution law that sets the conditions of dissolution of the
Czechoslovak parliament and declaration of new elections. President
should have the right to submit acts until the new election/these acts
will be passed by a new Parliament afterwards/.
4. Constitutional law on a new structure of the federal body of
representatives that is based on the president's previous working
proposal of the constitution. President proposes a one-chamber federal
parliament /contemporary Parliament consists of the chambers: House of
People and House of Nations/ and an independent federal council
consisting of representatives of the national parliaments.
5.The new election law ensuring that only representatives that have the
confidence of the all people will be elected in the new body of
representatives. Vaclav Havel has already shown his dissatisfaction with
the Czechoslovak contemporary election system several times.
The televized speech of prezident Havel met with a large response
from the Czechoslovak people. President has got the support of
university students, trade unions, nonpolitical organizations and some
political parties /with reservations/. Most Slovak political parties
disagreed with the president. Charles University and Czech Technical
University have organized a meeting to support president Havel on
November 19,1991. 10 000 university students took part in this meeting.
The Rector of Charles University said that our country should gain
confidence from abroad too. Our political uncertainty and tense
situation has caused foreign confidence in Czechoslovakia to begin to
disappear.
P. Stockel, deputy of student academic senate, said that political
representatives now are isolated agai .They are going to "represent only
themselves ". High school students organized the demonstration to
support president Havel on November 19 as well on Wenceslaus square.
Union of Student Estates has announced the emergency of a strike.
An offense to all Christians?
Prague's archbishop M. Vlk the students of the faculty of law at Charles
University on November,11. The discussion was about the role of the
state and the church. M. Vlk paid attention to the situation in the old
regime - the church was at this time total subordinate to state
officials. Archbishop said there is a need for the complete separation
of the church from the state in the future but the church isn't able now
to attain an economic independence. Most questions were devoted to the
case of Martin Kasandra's "Azda Posledna vecera"/Maybe the Last Supper/
that was published in Slovak cultural magazin "Kulturni zivot". A Czech
newspaper, "Lidove noviny" indicated this story as unorthodox experiment
based on the bible story. The story made Slovak Christian politicians
upset. The Slovak parliament decided to sue Kasandra according to law on
slander against race,nationality and conviction. "Lidove noviny" named
Martin Kasandra "the Slovak Rushdie". He was examined together with Ivo
Stripko who is the chief-editor of "Kulturni zivot". The Council of
Writer's Group protested in an open letter to president Havel. President
Havel clearly answered that literature cannot be put on a trial.
Contrary to the prezident's statement Prague's archbischop agreed with
the Slovak parliament and considers the story as an rude offence to all
believers. He thinks that certain limits exist in literature and they
cannot be overstepped with impunity.
Ministr Dobrovsky about the army
Lubos Dobrovsky, minister of defence, took part in a discussion with the
students of the faculty of social sciences at Charles University on 18
th of December.
The minister confirmed a shorter term of basic military service to
twelve months starting from October 1993. The Czechoslovak army wants to
attain certain professionalization, especially in the professions of
army vehicles' drivers and radio-stations' servicers. The slowing down
of this process is caused by the small interest of people in army's
careers and the lack of finances that should come from the state budget,
according to Dobrovsky. Financial sources, will not be enough to cover
the needs of the army in next year either, said minister.
"General Consultation" by Komensky first time in Czech
The life-long work "General Consultation on the Reform of Human Affairs"
by world reknowned Czech academic and philospoher Jan Amos
Komensky/1592-1670/ will be issued in Prague to commemorate 400 th
anniversary of his birth. His philosophical-theological tract about
a just division of the world is devoted to the representatives of
policy, church and culture in his time. Original writings, damaged by
the fire in 1656, were found only in 1935. The new foundation of Charles
University for issuing and spreading works of Komensky is attempting to
raise funds to issue "General Consultation" amounting about 2.5 million
crowns. The foundation has received most of this money from Czechoslovak
concerns.
The foundation intends to publish a memorial volume "Homage to
J.A.Komensky"/Pocta J.A.Komenskemu/ in Czech nad English as well as
other works of his. Only one fourth of the total amount of his works
have been issued to date. The foundation of Charles University meets
financial problems in editing these books.
CULTURAL SERVICE
Labyrinth -theatre, studio, club
Realistic theatre in Smichov has got a new name and a new face. It will
be open in the beginning of January 1992 after major reconstruction.
The theatre has had six names since its establishment in 1881.
Originally "Theatre at Libuse"/Divadlo u Libuse/ wa built by well-known
theatre manager Pavel Svanda. Both folk and art perfomances were on the
programme as well as drama, opera and musical comedy. The audience comma
represented by all the social classes was growing. The company was
founded with the good reputation and theatre in Smichov became one of
the most important theatres in Prague.
After the death of Mr. Svanda his wife Eliska Peskova followed by her
daughter Marie Koldinska took over the manager work. Son of Mr. Svanda-
Karel Svanda became the artistic director. The stage was reconstructed
with the modern design in 1900. The theatre was named "Svanda's theatre"
/Svandovo divadlo/. Famous arena in Smichov /summer stage / became the
part of the theatre. Arena was finished and the whole year's perfomances
have been started there.
After next reconstruction in 1908 the theatre was renamed to
"Intimate theatre" /Intimn¡ divadlo/. The theatre was dissolved in
1928. The famous comedian and actor Vlasta Burian has rented the empty
stage form 1928-1930. "Intimate theatre" started playing again in two
years but it was finally dissolved in 1935.All the theatres were closed
by protectorate's government by 1944. The renters of the theatre have
changed often. Svanda's family wanted to start running the privat
theatre after the second world war again but they werent permitted. The
theatre became the property of the state. The theatre started playing
again under the name "Realist theatre of Zdenek Nejedly" /Realisticke
divadlo Zdenka Nejedleho/ in 1946. It was obvious from repertory that
the state owned the theatre. The amount of a reflection of the state
policy depended on a courage of the directors.
The theatre became the part of the history in 1989. On November 18,
just one day after the demonstration of the students on National street,
the meeting of actors and students took place there. One week's protest
strike was negotiated at the meeting. The plays of previously vorbiden
play-writers /Georg Tabori-farce Mein Kampf, Vaclav Havel-Asanation,
Slawomir Mrozek-Ambassador and etc./ were introduced within a new
theatre season. The theatre became one of the top theatres in Prague.
Another large reconstruction was started in June 1991 to built a new
interior and a chamber stage. A new theatre, studio and club "Labyrinth"
will start playing in January 1992.Perfomance "Twelth night" had its
first run in Prague's Vinohrady theatre on the 15 the of November,
1991. This perfomance , translated by Antonin Pridal,is pleasant , comic
entertainment. This play was presented by eminent actors and actresses.
Jaroslav Dudek is an experienced director of Shakespear's plays, so he
was the best person to direct. Nice songs are played as well.
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