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Carolina (English) No 052
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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
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
C A R O L I N A No 52, Friday, December 3, 1992.
FROM LAST WEEK'S EVENTS (November 11-18)
Bill of the Extinguishment of Czechoslovakia Rejected Again
Late Wednesday evening November 18 the Federal Assembly again
turned down the governmental proposal of the constitutional bill which
would officially divide the federation.
This was the result despite a recommendation Tuesday by members of
the Czech national Council and the National Council of the Slovak
Republik to pass the bill. Neither of the Republics'parliaments approved
proposals for the opposite parties, suggesting that the Federal Assembly
bind the validity of the Act of the extinguishment to a referendum.
To pass the bill in the Federal Assembly it was necessary to
achieve a three-fifths majority, not a simple majority. The missing
votes were derived from the Slovak part of the Chamber of the Nations,
and therefore a compromise solution will be sought in an argumental
procedure.
Vaclav Havel Runs for President
In an official announcement of his candidacy on Monday, Vaclav Havel
proved his will and courage to run for the office of President of the
Czech Republic.
When confronted with journalists in his Prague apartment, Havel
paid the most attention to the question of the powers of the
presidency. According to him, the current authority of this post
strictly limits the President's authority to intervene in the
legislative process. (The governmental version assumes that the
President is not empowered to propose bills and his suspensive veto
concerns only constitutional bills.)
Another issue of Havel's speech were his notes on the governmental
proposal of the Czech Constitution which the Czech National Council
received last Tuesday. According to Havel, the current version of the
Constitution's preamble is too extensive and complex.
Funeral of Alexander Dubcek
The official farewell to Alexander Dubcek, who died on November 7,
took place on Saturday in the Slovak National Theatre in Bratislava.
Apart from his family, representatives of political life, church,
and culture, along with guests from more than 50 countries were in
attendance for the funeral ceremony.
Noted in local and foreign press was the absence of Czech Premier
Vaclav Klaus, having been busy with his work, and that present Chairman
of the Czech National Council, Milan Uhde, did not deliver any speech in
behalf of the Czech people.
In Wednesday's daily Lidove Noviny the headline "Idea of
Politeness" introduced the approach of Czech writer Pavel Kohout to this
issue. Included in the text was: "Let the absence was based on whatever
reasons, certain associations certainly saw in the coffin above all
a communist or a federalist, and not a brave man who found a strength to
rectify a mistake whereto he was led by an idee fixe. Not tell him
farewell as to a great Czechoslovak, and not to tell him reverent
farewell in behalf of the Czech Republic, seems to be a product of
another idees fixe, which are no less dangerous."
When asked whether he did not feel a need to make his appearance at
Dubcek's funeral, Vaclav Havel answered that he had not been appealed to
do so. He said, however, that a Czech word was missing at the funeral.
He did not comment on Klaus's absence saying that he is not entitled to
do so.
Alexander Dubcek's final reposing place is the cemetery in the
Nightingale's Valley in Bratislava.
Government and Miners
Even Wednesday's demonstration of about 5,000 miners in Prague
against the course of re-structuralization and privatization of the
Mining industry did not achieve an agreement between the government and
the trade-unions. According to Czech Premier V. Klaus, the government
will never make concessions to any group of inhabitants of the Czech
Republic.
The liberality of the prices of coal was decided by the financial
council a month ago, and requirements to the state budget will be talked
over together with other common items. At the demonstration, Minister of
Industry, Trade and Travel of the Czech Republic, Vladimir Dlouhy,
promised a protection of the Czech market with coal against foreign
suppliers. Though according to him, the fact remains that some of the
least prosperous mines will have to be closed.
For and Against Direct Presidential Election
A public argument on the way of electing the Czech President was
held on Tuesday at the Faculty of Philosophy of Charles University by
Chairman of the Chamber of People of the Federal Parliament, Vaclav
Benda, and ex-minister of Foreign Affairs, Jiri Dienstbier.
Benda, from the governmental Christian Democratic Party, defended
an indirect election. He stated, that the new Czech Constitution creates
a considerable parlamentary system, where it would be impossible to
incorporate a procedure of a direct presidental election. Thus the
President would have a legitimacy which would be independent from the
Parliament's will, which would be a permanent source of conflict.
According to Benda, there is not enough money and time to call the
direct presidential election.
Jiri Dienstbier, whose Civic Movement lost in this year's election,
contested that power must be balanced. In support of a direct election,
he stated that no party can afford to present a candidate who is not
trusted by the people and that this could happen through the election in
Parliament. Vaclav Havel as a Czech president should have an independent
position in order to be able to balance the rather "Thatcher-like"
policy of premier Vaclav Klaus. Dienstbier said that the new state,
rising from necessity and accompanied by little enthusiasm, needs strong
legitimacy which it will be given by the new president, who is elected
by the people.
Menzel Finally Resigned
Jiri Menzel's resignation to the Headship of the Department of
Direction of the Film Academy of Performing Arts (FAPA) was based on his
disapproval with the reasons and the course of the Direction
students'strike. His colleagues, directors Klein, Chytilovu, Sadkova,
Jires, Svoboda, Koliha, Smyczek, Vavra, and Fuka regard his departure as
a loss mainly for the students and the situation, which led Menzel to
such a decision as shameful, since Menzel has properly fulfilled his
duty as a pedagogue as well as the head of the Department. In their
Tuesday's proclamation the students presented a wish that Menzel should
go on with his educational work at the faculty.
The Dean of FAPA accepted Menzel's resignation.
CULTURAL PAGE
To give you an idea of who is leaving FAPA we are bringing a brief
profile of Menzel:
Jiri Menzel was born on February 23, 1938 in Prague. From 1957-62
he studied FAPA under director O. Vavra. He graduated in 1963 with the
film "Our Mr. Foster Died". Then he was active mainly as a film
director. He also cooperated on the script of most of his films and also
starred in some of them. He also went in for theatre direction,
particularly after having shot the film "Skylarks on Thread", which went
directly to the vault and had its first run as late as 1989.
Since 1990 he has been the head of the Department of Direction at
Prague's Film Academy of Performing Arts. Among his most famous films
there are (names in the parentheses belong to the models'authors): Death
of Mr. Baltazar (from the series Little Pearls on the Bottom - B.
Hrabal), Crime in a Girls'School (J.Skvorecky), Sharply Observed Trains
(Hrabal - awarded with the American Oscar for the best foreign film
1967), Humorous Summer (V.Vancura), Crime in Cafe Dansant (Skvorecky),
Outside the Village Near a Forest, Tonsure (Hrabal), Festivity of
Snowdrops (Hrabal), Oh My Central Village (Z.Sverak), End of Old Times
(Vancura), Beggars'Opera (V. Havel).
The films are presented in a chronological order.
CZECHOSLOVAKIA CROWN'S BILL OF RATE
buy sale
USA 1USD 27.98 29.38
BRD 1DEM 17.46 18.38
GB 1GBP 41.67 44.81
FRA 1FRF 5.13 5.45
AUT 1ATS 2.50 2.62
The rate is valid on November 18, 1992.
Shifts on the labor market in the capital (statistic data for October):
Newly reported applicants: 907 (433 of them were on the dole)
Total of the applicants in the end of October: 1941 (887 of them were on
the dole)
In comparison with September there was the number of the unemployed
decreased (by 154), so did also the number of labor opportunities (by
1041). During last month the Labor Office offered a total of 18,894
jobs, including 12,442 worker's jobs. Only demands of applicants with
a limited working ability were not sufficiently covered (i.e. handicaped
or partly disabled people) 369 of them were offered only 283 posts.
How Labor Offices Work in Czechoslovakia
People who want to work and cannot find a proper job, apply to to
Labor Office. There they are provided a fresh option of free vacancies
wherein an employer directly specifies his requirements. Through this
institution it is possible to find a short term job - even in Germany.
The Labor Office cares mainly for improving the situation of the
homeless in the future. Therefore it offers a wide range of
re-qualification courses or financial aid to those employers who enable
high school and university students to gain a professional experience.
Welfare in the case of unemployment is the last possibility to
improve the applicant's material situation. Anyone with accomplished
study and a proper working experience of at least 12 months during last
three years is eligible to get the support.
The allowances are paid each sixth month. During the first and
third months the payment is 1200 Kcs (70 per cent of a fictitious income
of 2000 Kcs.) and in the fourth and sixth months the sum is reduced by
200 crowns. An average month's wage in Czechoslovakia is now 4297 Kcs.
SPORT
Hockey
On Friday, 14 teams of the federal hockey league played the 18th
round. The league standings are still headed by ambitious Litvinov with
26 points who at home beat Zlin 6:2. Runner up, Ceske Budejovice
(25points) did not hesitate either and beat Kosice 4:1. Suprising was
the loss of Sparta Praha to Kladno 0:3 in a traditional match. The last
team in the standings, Pardubice (12 points) lost again - this time in
Bratislava with Slovan of the place 4:8.
WEATHER
Pedestrians must be careful not to slip on wet leaves covering
almost all the pavements. Puddles remain frozen so far in the mountains.
Though nightly temperatures sink below zero , the temperature during the
day climbs to 5 degrees (Centigrade). The highlands are covered with 2
centimeter layer of snow, the mountains announce about 20 centimeters.
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