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Carolina (English) No 048
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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 48, Friday, November 6, 1992.
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Sorry for delay in the distribution of this issue.
editors
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FROM LAST WEEK'S EVENTS (October 28 - November 4)
European Community's Committee for Gabcikovo
Gabcikovo waterworks is technically good, according to the appraisal
of the European Community's Committee. Its experts claim that it is not
possible to interupt the construction work at this time. The European
Community intends to make a significant contribution to a solution of
the problem, whose prolonging would cause difficulties with gaining
Slovakia's international recognition. It would have an unfavorable
influence on the Czech attitude towards the customs union between the
Czech and the Slovak Republics. Czech Republic cannot continue to ignore
the Gabcikovo problem since a majority of European Community's countries
regard her as one of the involved parties in the dispute.
On Dissolution of Federation
The governmental proposal of the bill of the extinguishment of
Czechoslovakia is being dealt with in the Federal Assembly.
According to this bill, Czechoslovakia will no longer exist as of
December 31, 1992 at 24.00, when all the state bodies, armed forces,
armed security units and state organizations controlled by the
federation, cease to be valid. Czech Republic and Slovak Republic will
become succession states.
The Czechoslovakian Socialist Democratic Party presented a proposal,
that on December 19, a referendum on the possibility of division on
December 31 be declared. If in this referendum citizens did not approve
the federation's abolishment, a new election would have to be called,
according to the Social Democrats. The first reactions of the members of
parliment towards this proposal were negative.
The Bill is to be discussed in the next session of Parliament.
Civil Democratic Party (ODS) Objects Direct Election of Czech President
The executive body of Civil Democratic Party denied Tuesday for
a direct Presidential election.
According to the attitude of the strongest political party in
Czechoslovakia, a direct election of President would bring about a rise
of a competitive center of executive power. The party said that would be
a source of strong conflicts especially if the President were impartial.
The press agency Arteria published information that ODS denounced
support for Vaclav Havel. His rival candidate from ODS would allegedly
be the current Federal Premier Jan Strasky. Chaiman of the party, Vaclav
Klaus, who opposed the direct presidential election as early as last
week, said the information that the ODS did not support Havel was
entirely false.
The direct presidential election, as proposed by Havel, gained
support among representatives of some parties of the governmental
coalition, for example Civil Democratic Alliance, Christian Democratic
Union - Czechoslovakian People's Party, and among the majority of the
opposition parties. Communist Left Block prefers an indirect election,
the Czechoslovakia traditional election of the President by
Parliament.
Abolishing of the University of Trnava
According to this Wednesday's daily Mlada Fronta, on Tuesday the
Slovakian government passed a Bill of the National Council of the Slovak
Republic, abolishing the University of Trnava.
LAST COMMON OCTOBER 28
As promised, the following reports offer a profile of October 28,
the last state holiday of Czechoslovakia, as we recorded it in Prague.
Left Block Against the Division of the State
About one thousand mostly older supporters of the Left Block
gathered on Wenceslas Sqare on the eve of the state holiday in Prague.
Their demonstration presented a dissent from the division of
Czechoslovakia and from the developments made after November 1989.
"We will easily fall prey to Germany", proclaimed Miroslav Ransdort,
one of the Members of Parliment of the Federal Assembly for Left Block.
In support of his arguments, three other speakers from Germany, England
and Sub-Carpathian Ukraine took the floor. Unfortunately this rally did
not shun violence with one flag-bearers attacking a journalist. The
manifestation was completed by an evangelic minister who appealed to the
participants to come in support of Wednesday's demonstration of the
Association for Republic - Republican Party of Czechoslovakia.
Sladek will not allow another Munich
Association for Republic - Republican Party of Czechoslovakia
(SPR-RSC) began its demonstration at noon on October 28 in Prague on the
Wenceslas Square. Several thousand people gathered under the statue of
Saint Wenceslas.
"I take my cap off to everyone who had courage to come here," said
MP of the Federal Assembly for SRP-RSC Josef Krejsa. Then he went on
to critisize the current, as well as previous, constitutional public
servants.
"We will not let a new Munich! Havel, Klaus and Meciar sold us to
Germans!" were the first sentences of Chairman of SPR-RSC, Miroslav
Sladek, when he arrived at 1 p.m. "The West is afraid of the power of
united Czechoslovakia. Today we have the best chance to become the
fourth world power after the USA, Russia and China." Sladek labeled the
Civil Democratic Party and its leader Vaclav Klaus, along with
ex-president Vaclav Havel successors to Adolf Hitler. After two hours of
persistent rain Miroslav Sladek left.
An opinion poll carried out by the editorial staff of Carolina
discovered that from 311 participants of the demonstration, 147 came to
support the claims of the Republicans, 92 people wanted just to have
a look and the rest 72 aimed at critising Sladek.
Zeman was critisizing, Kryl singing
The afternoon meeting of Czechoslovakian Social Democracy in
Prague's Eden gave a rather sad impression. The speakers talked about
corruption and decay achieved by the common state during recent times.
Most of the contribution made a strong stand against a violent break-up
of the federation and supported the idea of referendum. With wild
applause the audience awarded prognostic and critic of Klaus's economic
reform - MP of the federal assembly for Czechoslovak Social Democracy,
Milos Zeman.
"Neither Czech or Slovakian advice will luckily influence God,"
stated by way of an introduction of his appearance Jiri Kalensky, parish
priest of Czechoslovakian Hussite Church. Later he dealt with the newly
risen situation in Slovakia. His successor to the speaker's stand was
ex-minister of the federal government, Petr Miller.
"I am not singing for any party, I am singing for Republic". These
words introduced Karel Kryl, a folk singer who had to emigrate to
Germany in 1968 because of political reasons. In the end the
participants signed a petition calling for referendum on the division
of the state.
Vaclav Havel at St. Vaclav
Ex-president Vaclav Havel commemorated the 74th anniversary of the
rise of Czechoslovakia by putting flowers to the statue of Saint
Wenceslas on the Wenceslas Square in Prague at 5pm.
Anarchists at the "Funeral of the Republic"
Anarchists and skinheads gathered at a rally organized by National
Fasist Body near the one-time Stalin's statue in Prague. Around
3 p.m., a dangerously looking procession of approximately 200 skinheads
set out marching though the city, but soon they were stoped by police
forces. Anarchists on the contrary held a peaceful "Funeral of the
Czechoslovak Republic".
Republic in Theatre
The audience in Theatre Labyrint also commemorated the anniversary
of the rise of the common state. During the fourth series of discussion
program RES PUBLICA there was a set of politicians, journalists and
actors on the stage. A live discussion rised between the stage and the
auditorium. The major topics were the Republicans' demonstration, the
University of Trnava and Czech-Slovak relations.
"We support unreservedly your pains to create a new and good
university in Trnava," stated a telegram for students and pedagogues of
this school written by the participant to this discussion, who included
ex-premiers Petr Pithart and Jan Carnogursky and essay-writer Pavel
Tigrid.
Present State of Health of Alexander Dubcek
According to the Minister of Health Service of the Czech Republic,
Petr Lom, the patient's crisis deepens, but the basic functions are
still preserved.
Opinion Poll
The extinguishment of the federation is favored by 51 percent Czechs
and 37 percent Slovaks. These are the October's results of the opinion
poll carried out by the Institute for Public Opinion Poll.
The most acceptable way of deviding the state in both the republics
still remains as referendum. One third of Slovaks and more than a half
of Czechs want a new election after the collapse of the federation. (In
Bohemia, half of those who voted the current governmental coalition
shares this opinion.)
In case of a division, more than 50 per cent of citizens would be
afraid of a division of property, finance and even of a contingent civil
war.
Czechoslovakia crown's bill of rate
buy purchase
USA 1 USD 27.71 29.11
BRD 1 DEM 17.60 18.52
GB 1 GBP 41.90 45.04
FRA 1 FRF 5.14 5.46
AUT 1 ATS 2.52 2.64
The rate is valid on November 4.
CULTURAL SERVICE
Master of Czech Painting
A collection of paintings, puppets and wooden ornamental sculptures
of Czech artist Jiri Trnka is on display in the National Galley in the
Kinskych Palace through January 24. Apart from popular figures (Svejk,
Beatles) the exhibition also includes a projection of Trnka's animated
cartoons.
Scandalous Gio
The first run of a debut of authors and directors, Simon and Michal
Caban, "Don Gio" took place on OCtober 31 in the Stavovske Theatre in
Prague at the occasion of closing the festival "Mozart Open 1992". This
non-commercial film aimed at expressing an entire respect to Mozart's
music which penetrated the film during the whole performance.
SPORT
Hockey - After 16 finished rounds of the federal hockey league,
north-bohemian Litvinov is still in the lead with 22 points. In the last
5 matches it gained but 5 points which makes Ceske Budejovice ranking
second, loses now only 1 point. The last is still Pardubice who has won
so far only 4 matches.
Football - In the fourth round of the Cup of Czech-Moravian Football
Association, two first-league teams were surprisingly beaten by
third-league teams: Dukla Praha lost to Frydek-Mistek 0:2, Teplice beat
Vitkovice 1:0. A first-league novice from Brno gained mastery over
Olomouc 2:0 and in the next match of two teams of the highest
competition, Ceske Budejovice (so far not succesful in the league) beat
Banik Ostrava 3:2. Slavia Praha gained mastery over third-league Blsany
as late as after a penalty shot. Among those advancing there are also
Sparta Praha and second-league teams Viktorie Zizkov and Opava.
The cup finalists in Slovakia are Dunajska Streda and 1.FC Kosice.
All the three leading teams of the league - competition remain on
the top of the chart : Slovan Bratislava beat Trnava 2:1, DAC Dunajska
Streda - Presov 1:0, Brno - Ostrava 3:2.
WEATHER
The approaching winter will shorten days and prolong nights. The sun
rises before 7 a.m. and sets already around 4:30 p.m. The sky is cloudy
with occasional rains or fog. Temperatures fluctuate narrowly below zero
in the night and around 10 degrees (centigrade) in the day.
DECLARATION OF THE STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TRNAVA
We, the students of the University of Trnava residing in Trnava, do
resent more and more sharpening dispute between the Ministry of
Education and Science of the Slovak Republic and the management of the
University of Trnava. What we perceive is that under the veil of various
invectives there is a political combat taking place, which is not
admissible on the academic ground according to the law. The development
of recent events heads even towards abolishment of the University of
Trnava. Under these circumstances we cannot stay silent any longer and
thus we appeal to public with this declaration:
The University of Trnava was established by an Act of the National
Council of the Slovak Republic number 191/92 on March 25, 1992. At the
same time the National Council of the Slovak Republic with its decree
nb. 278 established a commission for creating a Preparatory Committee as
a guarantee of the quality of the new university. On May 15, 1992
President of Czechoslovakia Vaclav Havel appointed, in response to the
commission of teh National Council of the Slovak Republic, RNDr. Anton
Hajduk, DrSc. a rector of the University of Trnava. In the first half of
September admission process started at the university. As soon as at
this time started to gain its sad popularity due to an argument over the
personality of the rector and thus over the whole University. This
crisis peaked at the matriculation to the university.
We don't want to deal with individual aspects of the whole case
since we are here to prepare for our future professions in a peaceful
and calm atmosphere. On this occasion, we would like to thank to all of
the professional staff of the University of Trnava (UT) for their hither
to work, without any financial compensation. But the blocked account
of the university does not guarantee us a required quality of education.
Why do we, as regular students, (within the assignment _ 18 paragraph
4, act number 172/1992 on universities) have to be involved in the
action of the Ministry of Education? What are we to blame for?
In connection with the case of UT representatives of the Ministry of
Education start talking about the groundlessness of a "country" UT. We
would like to remind that almost no university in the Central Europe has
such history as UT. It was her who educated many signifigant
personalities of not only of the Slovak nation. The signifigance of the
university was fully appreciated after its moving to Budin, in 1777.
Then it was already late.
After 215 years, our university proudly clams to be a sucessor to
this school and it has a full historical right to do so. The then
students allowed their school to be taken from them, we will not allow
it anymore. If we want to re-enter the mature democratic Europe, we
can't do so without educated people. And we want to rank among them
after completing our studies at UT. Woe is a nation which does not look
ahead.
We apppreciated the attitude of the city of Trnava which tries
within the framework of its possiblities to create conditions for the
activity of UT. We also like to thank the union of university students
of Slovakia for its solidarity. These approaches encourage us and give
us hope that in our fight for the preservation of UT, we are not alone.
We demand the management of UT to present even further a maximum
effort to preserve UT. We request the Ministry of Education to uplift
over some reservations against UT and to contribute to a fluent
educational process.
We are convinced that it is in the interest of the democratic
Slovakia to settle this absurd situation in a peaceful way as soon as
possible. We appeal to the Minstry to make a positive step which means
unblocking the bank account of UT in VUB Trnava. This will be a signal
for us that the whole case of UT will be solved in the benefit of us,
the students of UT.
The estate of Alma Mater in Trnava is sacred for us and we will not
disgrace it. We will not leave UT. We, the students of UT, residing in
Trnava, do not want to be ashamed before history.
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