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Carolina (English) No 060
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STUDENTS' E-MAIL NEWS FROM CZECH REPUBLIC
School of Social Science of Charles University
Smetanovo nabr. 6
110 01 Prague 1
Czech Republic
fax: (+422) 231 7391
e-mail address: carolina@n.fsv.cuni.cs
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
C A R O L I N A No 60, Thursday, January 29, 1993.
FROM LAST WEEK'S EVENTS (January 20 - 27)
Vaclav Havel Elected First Czech President
On Tuesday, January 26, at the second session of the House of
Deputies of the Czech Republic, the joint candidate of the governmental
coalition, V. Havel, was elected first president of the renewed Czech
state.
He received the required fifty-plus percent majority already in the
first round of the secret ballot, when 109 deputies cast their votes for
him. This was 8 votes over the required minimum; the House has 200
members.
The Left Bloc candidate Marie Stiborova received 49 votes (LB has
35 deputies in the House), and the Republican candidate Miroslav Sladek
got 14 votes (the Club "Association for the Republic / Republican Party
of Czechoslovakia" has 11 members in the House). 10 deputies abstained,
12 did not vote and 6 spoiled their ballots.
Immediately after the announcement of the results, Vaclav Havel
arrived in the Parliament building. "I am ready to take the oath
prescribed by the Constitution without reservations, and to live up to
it in my office," he told the deputies.
At the evening press conference he declared that he wants to watch
over the political stability in the country. "I would like to be an
inconspicuous guardian of the political culture in our country, of the
culture of public life, I would like to do my best for the good name of
the Czech Republic abroad," said the President. He will establish
friendly relations with all states, and "above all, with the state
closest to us, with the Slovak Republic."
The President is to be sworn in on February 2, in the Vladislav
Hall of the Prague Castle. The original date was changed so that the
Czech Premier Vaclav Klaus could attend the ceremony; he is to be abroad
on February 1. It was the third election of Vaclav Havel to the post of
the head of a state, this time for a period of five years; as
a President, he cannot be recalled during that time.
The parliamentary debate was broadcast live from 2:45 p.m. both by
television and by radio. Its shameful course, an almost three-hour
marathon of personal invectives and rude insults hurled by Republican
deputies at V. Havel, was shocking. One viewer was so disgusted that he
could not resist announcing by telephone that there was a semtex
(plastic explosive) charge located in one of the TV cameras. This caused
an interruption of the debate on technical grounds. After this was
announced, the author of the anonymous telephone information confessed.
There was another incident, this time between M. Sladek and a journalist
who followed, with a camera, the presidential candidate to the toilet.
The chair of the Mandate and Disciplinary Committee of the House,
A. Roschova (ODS - Civic Democratic Party), intends to move for
initiating a disciplinary procedure against some deputies of SPR-RSC
(the Republicans). However, according to the Constitution, a deputy
cannot be prosecuted for utterances made in the House. A deputy is
subjected solely to the disciplinary jurisdiction of the House.
How Did They Respond To V. Havel's Election?
Vaclav Klaus, Czech Premier and the chair of the Civic Democratic
Party: It is good that there will be some division of responsibility.
The election will contribute to the stabilization of the political
situation.
Milan Uhde, Speaker of the House, member of ODS: It is a mature and
good decision made at the right time.
Josef Lux, Deputy Premier, Minister of Agriculture and Chair of the
Christian Democratic Union / Czechoslovak People's Party: The election
result did not surprise me, I think that the Republicans elected Havel.
Petra Buzkova, deputy fot the Czechoslovak Social Democrats:
A considerable number of the colleagues from our club voted for V.
Havel, and, if I am not mistaken, so did many other opposition deputies.
It is then obvious that the coalition vote was not united.
Jaroslav Ortman, Chair of the Left Bloc Parliamentary Club: It was
a recognition of the prestige of Marie Stiborova that she received votes
from outside of the Left Bloc. The election of V. Havel was fully
democratic. I am convinced that the newly elected President will
exercise his office for the benefit of the Czech Republic.
This was Carolina's selection of the voices of Czech politicians
from the pages of the Czech press.
From The Biography Of Vaclav Havel
He was born on October 5, 1936, in Prague, as a son of
a construction engineer and businessman. On account of his origin, V.
Havel was not admitted to regular education. During the years 1950-55 he
worked as a chemical laboratory technician and finished evening high
school; then he took up Economics at the Czech Technical University. In
the early Sixties, he worked as a stage technician in the ABC Theater,
and later as an assistant director and dramaturgist in the Theater on
the Balustrade. His plays The Garden Party (1963), Memorandum (1965),
The Increased Difficulty of Concentration (1968) were performed there.
He published in magazines Kveten (May), Divadlo (Theater), Literarni
noviny (Literary Paper), and Shape. In August 1968, he was the main
author of the Ten Points as a protest at the highest places against the
development of the situation in Czechoslovakia. In 1975, he turns to
President G. Husak with a letter analyzing the situation. Two years
later, he becomes one of the three spokespeople of Charter 77. In 1978,
he is a joint founder of the Committee for the Defense of Unjustly
Prosecuted. In 1979, he was arrested and sentenced to 4 1/2 years of
imprisonment for the so-called subversion of the Republic, in March
1983 he was released on grounds of poor health. In 1987-89 he was
a member of the editorial board of the Samizdat People's Paper. His
literary creativity continues: Largo Desolato (1984), Temptation
(1985), Sanitation (1987); his essays Towards Human Identity were
published in 1984 in London. After November 17, 1989, he headed the
Civic Forum, and negotiated with the representatives of the
powers-that-be. On December 29, 1989, he was elected President of
Czechoslovakia. On July 5, 1990, he was re-elected. On July 20, 1992, he
resigned immediately following the declaration of sovereignty of the
Slovak Republic, admitting that he could not stop the disintegration of
Czechoslovakia.
In Front Of The Parliament
During the election, a crowd gathered in front of the Parliament
Building. They carried Czech flags, and mostly expressed their support
for Vaclav Havel. A small group of Republicans also appeared, trying to
support Miroslav Sladek; the former group responded negatively. No one
anticipated to wait in front of the Parliament for the whole afternoon.
They received information straight from the building as well as from the
radio. Only after eight in the evening they got what they had waited
for, the results of the elections. Most of them stayed around until the
newly elected President arrived, to express their support and affection
for him, but also delight over the fact that "the Sladek's gang left
empty-handed," as several citizens told our reporter.
Who For Slovak President: Roman Kovac Or Milan Ftacnik?
At the same time when the Czech Parliament held elections, so did
the National Council of the Slovak Republic. Not one of the four
candidates received the required three-fifth majority (90 votes out of
the total 150) during the first round of the secret ballot, on Tuesday,
January 26.
The largest number of votes (69) was cast for Roman Kovac, the
candidate for the governmental Movement for Democratic Slovakia (HZDS).
Apparently, not all HZDS deputies voted for him since there are 74 of
them. In the second round, it is a contest between him and the candidate
for the Party of the Democratic Left (SDL), Milan Ftacnik, who received
30 votes. The SDL club has 28 members.
The candidate for the Christian Democratic Movement, Anton
Neuwirth, received 27 votes, while Slovak National Party's Jozef Prokes
got just 17 votes. Altogether, 147 deputies were present, 2 abstained
and 2 ballots were spoiled.
Round 2 of the secret ballot is on the agenda of the National
Council of the Slovak Republic for Wednesday, January 27.
Separation Of Currency
One of the hot topics of these days is the date of the separation
of the common currency. It is already clear that it will take place much
sooner than originally expected. Speculations appear in the press, and
so do first guesses at the date.
The Czech Premier Vaclav Klaus declared that the exchange of money
for stamped notes will certainly not be executed this week. According to
Wednesday issue of Mlada Fronta Dnes (Youth Front Today), he added that
he is to leave for Davos on Thursday for 4 1/2 days, and that he would
never miss an event such as currency separation. However, according to
information from the Ministry of Finance, materials are ready to
regulate the separation mechanism and jurisdictions of the respective
components of the state administration and other institutions during its
course. This document should be co-signed by the Deputy Premiers and the
Premier. They will be authorized to do so by a Parliament through a law
which would delegate certain jurisdictions to the government.
Military Service At Most Year And A Half
According to a Ministry of Defense worker, J. Panocha, conscriptees
who started their military service in October 1992 will be discharged at
the latest after 18 months. He also stated that information about the
reduction of military service to 12 months, which would affect soldiers
serving at the earliest since last October, is merely for orientation.
The proposal to reduce military service to 12 months was, according to
J. Panocha, presented only to ministers for comments, and until the
government and the parliament approves it, the present law determines
the terms of service.
SPORTS
Hockey League
Hockey League, which is still federal, has seen 34 rounds. The
ranking at the top is unchanged - Litvinov leads (45 pts.), followed by
Ceske Budejovice (42 pts.), Sparta Praha (41 pts.) and Kladno (39 pts.).
The next-to-the-last (thirteenth) team, Pardubice, managed to pull up to
the number twelve Slovvan Bratislava by winning 2:1 at home and 5:2 on
Bratislava ice. Now the teams have 27 points each, and the last, Plzen,
lags behind by three points.
Great Pardubice Steeplechase Made Safer?
The City Council of Pardubice decided to lease Pardubice race
course to Pardubice Race Company for seven years. The course is the
scene of the second most prestigious annual horse race in Europe - The
Great Pardubice Steeplechase - and it was, especially during the last
year's races, a target of criticism and protests both from our and
foreign public, mostly from the environmentalists. The protests pointed
at the lack of safety of some obstacles. Allegedly, taking measures to
make the race acceptable to European public was a condition of the
lease.
EXCHANGE RATE OF THE CZECHOSLOVAK CROWN
purchase sale
FRG 1 DEM 17.66 18.58
USA 1 USD 27.87 29,27
UK 1 GBP 42.42 45.56
AUT 1 ATS 2.52 2.64
FRA 1 FRF 5.20 5.52
The rates are as of January 27.
WEATHER
January weather caught us off guard with a novelty - strong wind
gusts. It has caused a lot of damage, but instead of snow it brought
just rain. Downhill courses are closed down, temperatures range between
1 and 8 degrees Celsius. Diffusion conditions are good, thanks to
intense air currents. During the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, snow
blanket finally descended on Prague.
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