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Carolina (English) No 047
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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 47, Friday, October 30, 1992.
FROM LAST WEEK'S EVENTS (October 21 - 28)
Memorandum for Europe
This headline in the daily Lidove Noviny deals with the second round
of talks between the governments of the Czech and the Slovak Republics,
which took place on Monday, October 26 in Javorina, High Tatras.
Both premiers Vaclav Klaus and Vladimir Meciar in the end signed
a Memorandum of the Governments of the Czech Republic and the Slovak
Republic to the European Community, and sent it immediately to British
Premier John Major who is presiding over the European Community.
Between 15 and 22 bills prepared on international relations between
the Czech and the Slovak Republics after January 1, 1993 were passed at
this meeting. In the leading issue, the future of citizenship, the
governments agreed that citizenships of the republics will be defined by
the national councils.
"There will not be any form of Union of common citizenship," Klaus
said. Meanwhile, Czechs will not be foreigners in Slovakia and will have
opportunity to obtain both citizenships, and according to Meciar, the
Czech Republic is presumed to remain with one citizenship. So far no
agreement of the division of property was approved because of the doubts
of its size. A new committee was formed to prepare, within a week, new
quantitative foundation, particularly in the fields of banking, finance,
governmental credits, debts and other assets and liabilities of the
state.
Having returned from London, from the meeting of J. Delors and J.
Major with the representatives of the so-called Visegrad's Trio (Poland,
Hungary, Czechoslovakia), both the premiers of the Czech and the Slovak
Republics are supposed to ratify at Prague's airport the contract of
Customs Union between both Republics.
Damming Up of the Dunabe Started
On Saturday, October 24, the final work on the controversial damming
of the river-bed of the Dunabe started at Cunovo near Bratislava.
According to Director of the enterprize Waterworks Construction, Julius
Binder, the last phase of the construction of the variant C of Gabcikovo
waterworks was commenced.
A removal of the dam would not last for long as its construction is
the argument of opponents who proclaim that damming up is by no means an
inevitable action.
According to Czech Minister for Foreign Affairs, Josef Zieleniec,
the question is not which side (Slovakian or Hungarian) is right in the
case of Gabcikovo, but the European Community appealed to Czechoslovakia
not to undertake anything until a committee of representatives of the
European Community, Czechoslovakia and Hungary comes to their sessions.
In spite of that, the federal government decided on Wendnesday that the
dam will be completed by November 2.
After Thursday's talks in Brussels were deemed unsatisfactory,
Hungary appealed on Friday to the International Court in the Hague to
decide on the dispute between Hungary and Czechoslovakia.
On the same day, Hungary delivered a note by word of mouth to
Czechoslovakia, demanding either the answer by Tuesday morning, or the
Federal government would take pertinent measures by that day. If Hungary
should not regard the answer satisfactory, she can request calling
together the Council of Ministers of the Conference of Security and
Cooperation in Europe.
The Czechoslovakian government was in a session late into night on
Monday, October 26, but was not able adopt any approach towards
Gabcikovo. Five Czech members of the government were for interuption of
the dam work, 5 slovak ministers were against. Word came round that the
government might resign but it will surely not happen before the return
of the Republics' premiers from the summit in London.
According to the Czechoslovkian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jozef
Moravcik, it was not possible to stop the construction work since by
November 2, a navigation on the Dunabe must be restored.
In the answer to the Hungarian note concerning the construction of
the Dunabe waterworks, Czechoslovakia binds itself that even after
damming up the Danube, the quality and the quantity of water flowing to
the old river-bed on the Czechoslovakia-Hungary border will stay the
same and that electric energy will not be generated there yet.
Since October 26, the Danube has flowed through a natural canal to
a 25km remote hydro-power station and due to high water, it was allegedly
necessary to additionally activate a turbine supplying 40 MW of
electricity to the national electricity network per hour.
Orders of T.G.Masaryk
64 personalities, who have gained recognition for their struggle for
democracy, human rights and a coexistence of the Czech and the Slovak
nations, were on Wednesday, October 28, accorded Orders of T.G.Masaryk
in memoriam. Their relatives received the decorations in the
Vladislav's Hall at the Prague Castle from the hands of Federal Premier
Jan Strasky, who after Vaclav Havel's abdication, exercises some
presidental jurisdiction.
Among those decorated in memoriam, writer and playwright Vladislav
Vancura, assasinated during World War II, Frantisek Kriegel, who in
August 1968, was the only politician who did not sign the so-called
Moscow Protocol, and afterwards was removed from political life and
became one of the first signatories of the Charter 77, historician and
diplomat Kamil Krofta, and Slovakian fiction-writer Jozef Gregor
Tajovsky, who dedicated his life to the coexistence of Czechs and
Slovaks.
The Order of T.G. Masaryk was the highest state decoration first
granted since last year. It is accorded by the president of the republic
on the proposal of all the three governments. After the division of the
state it will probably remain a decoration granted in the Czech
Republic.
The last birthday of Czechoslovakia
The picture of the last celebrations of October 28 as a state feast
will appear in the next issue. Today we would like to present just a
brief historical excursion reminding of the inception of the
Czechoslovak Republic in 1918.
Journalist Ferdinand Peroutka compared in his work "Building Up the
State," the inception of Czechoslovakia to a birth of a baby at whose
conception the male character was represented by the desire of the
nation for independence, and the female part was taken by the decaying
structure of Austria-Hungary. It is necessary to state though, that this
longing for freedom lacked for quite a long time any propriate deeds.
The resistance in exile was represented by the Czechoslovak National
Council in Paris (T.G.Masaryk, E.Benes, M.R.Stefanik), which arised in
1916 and operated with a program of creating an independent Czechoslovak
state for which it tried to gain support of the governments of the
states of the Agreement. Slovakia was supposed to have its own
administration, parliament and courtship within the common state, as it
was stated in the Pittsburg Agreement. The Agreement designed by Masaryk
was adopted by the representatives of Czech and Slovak countrymen
organizations in the USA in May 31, 1918. In the end of the World War I,
during June and September 1918, the governments of France, Great Britain,
USA and Japan recognized the National Council of the future Czechoslovak
state. The National Council organized army troops in exile from Czech
and Slovak volunteers, so-called legions, which were fighting on the
Agreement side against Austria-Hungary. The home resistance was
represented by Mafie, secret organization of politicians and journalists
which gathered news about the home situation and supplied it abroad. In
July 1918, National Czechoslovak Committee was formed from
representatives of individual political parties according to the
election results from 1911. As the highest body and the center of home
resistance against Austria-Hungary, it anticipated taking over the power
in Czech lands and on October 28, 1918 his representatives Rasin,
Svehla, Soukup and Stribrny proclaimed an independent Czechoslovak
Republic and passed its first bill. Slovakia joined the common state on
October 30 by the Martin's Declaration, represented by V. Srobar. It
should be noted that a great importance for the process of forming of
the common state had 14-points program for post-war arranging of the
world elaborated by of American president T.W.Wilson.(mainly the 10th
point demanding inception of national states.)
The Leading Figure in Bohemia is V.Dlouhy, in Slovakia P.Weiss
According to the latest polling results, the top of the ladder of
popularity in the Czech Republic in October is occupied by Minister of
Industry, Trade and Travel, Vladimir Dlouhy. It is for the first time
since December 1989 that the top is not taken by Vaclav Havel. Havel
ranks 2-3 together with Vaclav Klaus.
The most popular person in Slovakia is Chairman of the Party of
Democratic Left Wing and at the same time Deputy Chaiman of the National
Council of the Slovank Republic Peter Weiss. He is narrowly followed by
contemporary Slovak Premier and at the same time Chairman of the
Movement for Democratic Slovakia, Vladimir Meciar. Third ranks
contemporary Chairman of the Federal Assembly, Michal Kovac.
The University of Trnava Protests Against the Illegal Advance of the
Slovakian Minister of Education
According to Chairman of the Academic Senate, Michal Slivka, the
University of Trnava will take legal action against Minister of
Education and Science of the Slovak Republic Matus Kucera, who had
blocked the University's bank account.
The students of the University made a proclamation on Monday,
October 26 stating that they were disenchanted by the worsening fight
between the Slovakian Minister of Education and Science and the
Management of the University. They coment that the advance of the last
events leads towards the possibility of abolishing the University and
they univocally support their pedagogues in the fight for the
preservation of the school.
According to the Tuesday's daily Mlada Fronta Dnes, 200 students of
the University of Trnava demanded that the Slovakian Minister release
the bank account since the school does not have money to pay its
employees. In the most critical days they received 100,000 crowns by the
Local Authority in Trnava.
On Monday, the rector of the University Anton Hajduk said that in
spite of all the problems from the side of the Ministry of Education,
the lessons continue.
In the last issue we informed you about the protest of the
University Union of Slovakia against the blocking of the state bank
account of the University of Trnava and we also published the account of
the Foundation Universitas Tyrnaviensis 4-000-173-305/3 100 at the
General Credit Bank Bratislava. Slovak Universities and the Charles
University in Prague have already expresed their solidarity with the
University of Trnava.
Menzel - students' strike
Well-known Czech film director Jiri Menzel regards the students'
strike at the Prague's Film Academy of Musae Arts, demanding the removal
of the head of the department of direction, a students'problem. The
Academic Senate of the faculty which assembled on Thursday, October 22
confirmed the authority of the students' claims. Within 7 days dean J.
Pecak should adopt measures guaranteeing normal functions of the school.
The Senate of the Academy of Musae Arts also suggested that Zdenek
Urbanek be removed from the post of the rector of the Academy. Since the
Ministry of Education, Youth and Physical Education has not reacted to
the original proposal from May 1992, in September the Senate reconfirmed
its proposal of removing the rector in re-voting.
SPORT
Football league after the 10th round
Suprisingly, the leading Slovan Bratislava was beaten at home by
Bratislava's team Inter 2:3. The defender of the title remains in spite
of the loss on the top of the chart together with Dunajska Streda and
Brno.
Again Cups'Results
Czechoslovakian master Slovan Bratislaba was beaten at home by the
Italian master team AC Milan 1:0. AC Milan showed to be one of the best
European teams and achieved victory even with 10 players and in the 2nd
half-time. Slovan still lacks greater cup experience.
As for Sparta playing in the Cup of the Masters of the Cups - the
goal-keeper Kouba presented an outstanding performance.
WEATHER
October was regarded as below average in temperature, which made us
prematurely take out winter jackets, hats and scarfs. Daily temperatures
do not exceed 10 degrees (Centigrade) and during night sank below zero.
The mountains enjoy this year's first snow, Jeseniky in the Soutnern
Moravia announced 30 centimeters. The ski-season was opened.
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