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Carolina (English) No 063
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STUDENTS' E-MAIL NEWS FROM CZECH REPUBLIC
School of Social Sciences of Charles University
Smetanovo nabr. 6
110 01 Prague 1
Czech Republic
E-mail address: carolina@n.fsv.cuni.cs
Fax: (+422) 231 7391
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
C A R O L I N A No 63, Friday, February 18, 1993.
FROM LAST WEEK'S EVENTS (February 10 to 17)
Michal Kovac Became First Slovak President
On Monday, February 15, the National Council of SR elected Michal
Kovac, the deputy chairman of the Movement for Democratic Slovakia
(HZDS), into the office of the President of Slovakia. As the only
presidential candidate, he received 106 votes in the second double
round, and this is 16 votes over the necessary minimum in the 150-seat
Parliament.
The day following his election, that is, February 16, M. Kovac
requested that his membership in HZDS be suspended during his
presidential term. At the same time, he turned to the leadership of the
movement with a request for his release from the deputy chairmanship of
HZDS. After the election, he stated: "I am glad that my constitutional
pledge of independence was reinforced by the support of almost all
parties and movements". The support of the deputies of the Party of the
Democratic Left and of the Slovak National Party was a main contributing
factor in the Slovak presidential election. Most observers, however,
still hint at the great degree of interlinkage between the President and
the "governmental" movement. Namely, the movement has occupied all three
key posts in the state: the seat of the Premier, the post of the Speaker
of the Parliament, and now even the Presidential office.
At his first press conference, the President stressed the
importance of the relations with CR, the increase in trustworthiness of
Slovakia in the world, and easing of the tensions with Hungary. M. Kovac
does not want to serve as a counterbalance to Premier V. Meciar; he
wants to co-operate with him and the Parliament. He declined comment on
the open controversy between the External Minister M. Knazko and V.
Meciar.
According to the Czech Press Bureau, the inauguration of the first
Slovak president will take place on March 2. Michal Kovac confirmed his
intention to invite Vaclav Havel.
Who Is Michal Kovac
Michal Kovac (62, born August 5, 1930) is an economist by
education. He graduated from the Institute of Economics in 1954, then
worked for a long time in the financial circles, and in 1964-65 he was
active in Cuba. In 1953, he joined the Communist Party of Slovakia, and
in 1970 he was expelled from it. Between December 1989 and May 1991, he
was active as Finance Minister of SR. From June 1990, he was a deputy of
the People's House of the Federal Assembly (he ran for the Public
Against Violence - VPN). After the disintegration of VPN he joined HZDS,
and in June 1991 he became its deputy chairman. In the parliamentary
elections of 1992, he became a deputy of the Federal Assembly, and until
the demise of the Federation, he was the Speaker of the Czechoslovak
Parliament.
First Congratulations Came From Vaclav Havel
Presiden Vaclav Havel was the first to send Michal Kovac
a congratulatory telegram. In it he expressed his belief that as
a President, M. Kovac will become a safeguard of peaceful and democratic
development of Slovakia and of its integration into European
intitutions.
V. Havel has invited the Slovak President for an official visit to
the Czech Republic.
Atmospheric Calamity In The North Of Bohemia
The pollution levels in major cities, especially in Prague, Plzen
and Ostrava deteriorated last week as a consequence of unfavorable
diffusion conditions. The situation in northern Bohemia is being likened
to a natural catastrophe. The North-Bohemian Coal Basin is the site of
the highest concentration of the pollution sources (thermal power
stations burning low-grade brown coals).
Restraint measures on sources of air pollution are being imposed
when a three-hour average of excess of sulphur dioxide reaches 400
micrograms per cubic metre, and the level is 350 micrograms for nitrogen
oxides. Last week in northern Bohemia, these levels have been exceeded
up to three times. The public was just advised to stay outdoors for
a minimum possible time. Since Thursday, school education in this region
has been suspended. Large numbers of children were transported into
mountain regions for healthier air. Unfortunately, they ran into
increased ultraviolet radiation due to thirty-percent reduction of
upper-atmospheric ozone.
In the basin region, the operation of the power stations was
reduced to a minimum. Financial reserves of the Minitry of Health were
released for emergency situations. Students in Teplice demonstrated for
more radical measures for the benefit of the population.
In the first days of the new week, the inversion started to recede.
Economical Ministers In Favor Of Completion Of Nuclear Power Station
On Tuesday, the economical ministers of the Czech Republic agreed
on the completion of the nuclear power station Temelin. Still, Minister
of Environment Frantisek Benda hesitates to come up with a clear stand.
The March 10 session of the government should bring a definitive
decision. According to Vaclav Klaus, Tuesday decision cannot be reversed
in any way. Also, the Premier rejects the idea of a referendum.
To protest against the authoritarian decision of the government,
more than three hundred activists of ecological iniciatives and citizens
of southern and northern Bohemia gathered in front of the Government
Offices the same day.
The completion of the Temelin station would facilitate gradual
reduction of the power production of North Bohemian brown-coal power
stations by 2,039 megawatts by the year 1997.
Charles University Appeals For President's Help
In an open letter, representatives of Charles University turned to
President Havel, asking him to initiate the discussions on the present
critical financial situation of post-secondary education and the
sciences, either on governmental or on parliamentary level. This was
announced in Monday press.
According to the economical deputy to the Minister of Education,
Youth and Physical Education, Ivan Filip, the economical situation of
the schools will be threatened by the budget spending measures announced
by the Ministry of Finance in the recent days for the following three
months. The state budget for schools is already on the border of
possibilities, and further cuts are no longer possible, said deputy
Filip. For example, the schools could not pay electricity bills.
Slovak Indebtedness To Federal Budget
The Finance Minister of CR, Ivan Kocarnik, stated in Lidove noviny
(People's Paper) that Slovakia's contribution to the joint revenue of
the former federal budget amounted only to 0.55 billion crowns. This is
several times less compared with previous months:
Trend of turnover tax revenues from Slovakia in millions of Kcs:
in 1991 and in 1992
September 2,721 3,076
October 2,909 3,407
November 1,831 3,358
December 3,567 566
"I will insist on the repayment of the outstanding sum," declared Czech
Finance Minister Ivan Kocarnik. The Finance Minister of SR, J. Toth
stated that everything needs to be looked into first. But the repayment
of the amount cannot be effected solely on the basis of the calculations
of the Ministry of Finance of CR, he added.
Protest Appeal Against Discriminatory Treatment Of Culture In Slovakia
The decision of the Minister of Culture of SR D. Slobodnik not to
grant a subvention to the magazines Kulturny zivot (Cultural Life),
Fragment K, Arena and Slovenske pohlady (Slovak Views) is considered by
members of the Association of Writers' Organizations of Slovakia to be
a violation of the plurality of opinions, political discrimination and
an infringement on the freedom of speech. This means, in effect, the
magazines' demise. The editor-in-chief of Kulturny zivot I. Stripka
stated with regret that the last, 7th issue of the magazine, already
deep in debt, will appear this week. Arena is already out of existence,
Fragment K is ready to return to the samizdat form. The protest appeal
was already signed by 150 celebrities.
Increasing Pressure To De-value Slovak Currency
De-valuation of up to 30% is being recommended by financial experts
as a remedy to maintain internal exchangeability of the Slovak currency.
The payments are out of balance, in favor of the Czech Republic. The aim
of the de-valuation is to make Slovak exports cheaper not only with
respect to the Czech Republic but also with respect to other neighboring
states. However, Slovak authorities are opposed to de-valuation: the
vice-governor of the National Bank of Slovakia M. Tkac spoke first about
re-valuation of the Slovak crown, the Finance Minister of SR J. Toth
will "personally vote against devaluation in any case". The commercial
banks in Czech lands, on the other hand, already count on de-valuation:
Tourist rate (Kc for 100 Sk) purchase sale
Cs. Business Bank 82.00 87.00
Czech Savings Bank 82.00 89.00
Bank of Commerce 80.85 84.15
Agrobank 81.00 86.00
Investments Bank 81.00 87.00
The rates are as of February 17.
In contrast, Slovak banks are trying to maintain the rate 1:1 :
(Sk for 100 Kc) purchase sale mean
General Credit Bank 90 110 100
Slovak State Savings Bank 90 110 100
Tatra Bank 95 105 100
People's Bank 84.50 111.50 98
Cs. Bank of Commerce in Slovakia will not buy 121.95 N/A
EXCHANGE RATES OF THE CZECH CROWN
purchase sale
FRG 1 DEM 17.19 18.11
USA 1 USD 28.25 29.75
UK 1 GBP 40.17 43.31
Austria 1 ATS 2.45 2.57
France 1 FRF 5.06 5.38
Canada 1 CAD 22.34 23.90
The rates are as of February 17.
SPORTS
Hockey League
The penultimate round of the superstructure part decided on the
termination of the participation of last-year's finalist Plzen in the
federal hockey league. Plzen will end up last after its loss to Sparta
Praha, regardless of the result of the re-match. In contrast, the
chances of Pardubice to advance into the play-off increased after its
victory over Kladno, and they have the same number of points as twelfth-
place Slovan which, after a tie with Vitkovice, has no guarantee of
taking part in the contest for the title. Litvinov is first, with the
same number of points as second-place Sparta.
First Gold Medal From World Championship For Czech Republic
The relay team of the Czech biathlonists Kulhava, Adamickova,
Knizkova and Hakova brought to Prague the historical first gold medal
from the world championsips; they won it for tha Czech republic during
the weekend in Borovec, Bulgaria.
WEATHER
Last week, the inverted character of the weather caused
a catastrophic atmospheric conditions, especially in northern Bohemia.
At the beginning of this week, the dispersion conditions have improved.
Snow started to fall again, in some places with rain. Daily temperatures
range near 0 degrees Celsius, night temperatures fall five degrees below
zero.
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