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Carolina (English) No 064
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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
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C A R O L I N A No 64, Friday, February 26, 1993.
FROM LAST WEEK'S EVENTS (February 17 - 24)
President Havel's First Speech At The Czech Parliament
On Tuesday, President Vaclav Havel gave an about forty-minute
speech at the House of Deputies of the Czech Parliament.
He said that in many people, the loss of the old and the absence of
the new generates a feeling of vacuum, of being adrift and frustrated.
He named the most familiar manifestations of the condition when, after
the collapse of the value system of the totalitarian state, the value
system of the civic society has not yet matured; they are: rapid
increase of criminality and organized violence, intolerance, racism,
antisemitism and xenophobia. There are manifestations he considers even
more dangerous: irritability, atmosphere of distrust, deepening
cynicism, demagogy and vulgarity. "This may well be a kind of tax we pay
for an orderly division of the state," he added. This nervosity is
aggravated by the fact that during the recent three years we could not
come to terms with the past. He addressed Czech foreign politics,
suggesting that it should follow Czechoslovak post-November politics in
the sense that "we are no petitioners but rather partners who also have
something to offer." V. Havel stated that the President should be,
"above all, an intermediary of continuity of the state power, especially
in situations when political power changes hands, or in political
crises, hence a certain safeguard of political stability".
Before this speech, Vaclav Havel took part in a session of the
political core of the Parliament, where he spoke in favor of a speedy
decision on the validity of the screening law (whether it holds in the
form approved by the former Federal Assembly, or the finding of the
Constitutional Court of CSFR prevails, which dropped those legislative
measures which do not fully demonstrate collaboration with the former
State Security). He also urged the establishment of the Constitutional
Court of the Czech Republic, and the adoption of a law concerning the
Office of the President.
The only political party whose representatives did not attend the
session of the political core was the Republican Party. The deputies for
the Association for the Republic - Republican Party of Czechoslovakia
(SPR-RSC) were the only ones who disagreed in advance with the presence
of the head of the state at the session of the political core, and also
walked out of the house during President's speech.
Vaclav Klaus In Bratislava
It is in the interests of the Czech republic to have a neighbor to
the East with a functioning democratic system and prosperous economics,
a neighbor who knows that cooperation is better than confrontation, said
the Czech Premier Vaclav Klaus on his first official visit of the Slovak
Republic. It took place on Monday, February 22, in Bratislava.
The centerpiece of the long-term cooperation, according to Vaclav
Klaus, should remain the customs union treaty. Among problems yet to be
solved he mentioned the completion of the division of federal property
and securing the protection of the common border. As far as the property
is concerned, it is necessary to divide the assets and liabilities of
the former State Bank of Czechoslovakia, the property of major
corporations, such as Transgas and Cedok (a travel agency), and of
voucher privatization.
The Premier of SR Meciar characterized speculations about the
devaluation of the Slovak crown as a "psychological game". The
difficulties with foreign currency reserves and foreign trade balance of
the state should be resolved by introducing import surtax from which
merchandise originating in CR would be exempted. V. Meciar stated this
after talks with the Premier of CR Vaclav Klaus.
Vaclav Klaus responded with a declaration that the Czech party had
not been informed about the preparations of the Slovak government to
introduce import surtax, and stressed that he would strive for maximum
freedom of movement of persons and goods over the common border.
Jan Strasky Most Popular
For the first time, the last Federal Premier and present Minister
of Transportation in Klaus's cabinet Jan Strasky climbed to the top of
the popularity ladder. He is trusted by 71 percent of the citizens.
According to the Institute for public opinion polls, the results of
whose poll were published by the media on Wednesday, February 23, his
first place is connected with discussions in January about his running
for President.
Second place is occupied by Vaclav Havel (67%), third is Minister
of Industry and Trade Vladimir Dlouhy (62). The fourth, Vaclav Klaus, is
trusted by 62 percent of respondents, and the fifth, Jan Kalvoda, by
57%. Among the representatives of the present power elite, 6th place was
taken by Jiri Dienstbier, the former Czechoslovak Foreign Minister and
the present chairman of the Civic Movement (which was unsuccessful in
the recent parliamentary elections). He is followed by Finance Minister
Ivan Kocarnik (54%), the Speaker of the House of Deputies Milan Uhde
(41%), Foreign Minister Josef Zieleniec (38%). (After consultations with
experts on the Czech language, we would like to publish the correct form
of the instrumental case of his name: it should be written Zieleniecem.
Our apologies.) The top ten list of most popular people is completed by
the Minister of Agriculture and chairman of the Christian Democratic
Union / Czechoslovak People's Party Josef Lux (36%). Among these ten
most trustworthy people, he is the only one who is distrusted by more
people than trusted (42% against, compared with 36% in favor).
Consultations Of IMF With Slovak Government Could Resume In March
Quoting the Czech Press Bureau, Wednesday press brings the
information that the consultations of the International Monetary Fund
with the Slovak government, which were suddenly adjourned on Saturday,
could resume next month.
According to an agency source from the Slovak Ministry of Finance,
the delegation of IMF had a clear idea how to stabilize the Slovak
currency and economy, and proposed, among others, floating exchange rate
of the Slovak crown. To Slovak representatives, the prospective gain
from the fulfillment od the demanding measures seemed to be too low,
unconvincing and uncertain. According to the same source, Slovakia does
not feel to be a "banana republic".
The Reuter agency, quoting a Western diplomat, wrote on Saturday
that disagreement had apparently arisen between the two parties
concerning the devaluation of the Slovak currency.
Discovery Of Black Market Arsenals
On Wednesday, February 17, about 1,600 submachine guns were
discovered by the criminal police in two Prague warehouses. The
impounded weapons are the property of firms Efrata and Real. Their
owners were charged on Monday with illegal possession of arms and
unauthorized enterprise, and were arrested on Tuesday. Both have already
been prosecuted for crimes in the past. The third accused is an army
employee, who is under reasonable suspicion of providing the firms with
the weapons. They originate from the arsenals of the former Svazarm
(Association for Cooperation with the Army). On Friday, February 19,
1,100 more submachine guns were found in an Ostrava warehouse of
a branch of the former cooperative Lovena (hunting arms dealership).
These were intended, according to the spokesman for the Ministry of
Interior Jan Subert, to be sold illegally abroad. Most of these so far
found submachine guns SA-58 (Kalasnikov) would be, according to the
police, capable of firing after adjustments. The mandatory measures to
render them inoperative were not made in all weapons, as J. Subert said.
Handling such weapons is against the law, and so was their possession.
More weapons are supposed to be located in Nitra. In connection with
this, Slovak police officers visited Prague. According to the police
investigator Venzl, the present market price of one new submachine gun
can be figured at up to 30 thousand crowns, while the price of one re-
conditioned weapon could range from 10,000 to 15,000.
This is a hot topic of these days. Especially television devotes,
as a rule, first minutes of its major newscasts. As it gradually turned
out later, it was not as much of a stroke of police genius as it had
been presented during the first days.
Aid To Bosnia
The week of aid to Bosnia and Herzegovina runs from February 22 to
28 across all of the Czech Republic. It is organized by the Helsinki
Civic Assembly and other charitable organizations.
Television, public and private radio stations, newspapers and
magazines continually appeal to the citizens for help. During the first
half of the week, the Czech Catholic Charity amassed clothes, shoes,
kitchenware, mattresses, blankets in the Vrsovice train station. Each
day, up to four wagons were loaded. There is a joint bank account to
which Prague as well as off-Prague theaters contributed with the
proceeds of one performance, exhibition galleries sent their one-day
revenues, and to the Trade Bank (Zivnobanka) account, money is sent by
both individuals and companies. These funds will be used to purchase
medications and bandages. A convoy, accompanied by journalists from
Lidove noviny (People's Paper) and Mlada fronta Dnes (Youth Front Today)
will go to Zenica and Gorazde. The journalists want to be safeguards for
the help reaching its intended destination.
Vaclav Havel Appointed The State Defense Council
Premier V. Klaus became the chairman of the State Defense Council,
Finance Minister I. Kocarnik is the vice-chairman, and other members are
Foreign Affairs Minister J. Zieleniec, Defense Minister A. Baudys,
Interior Minister J. Ruml, Economics Minister K. Dyba, Industry and
Trade Minister V. Dlouhy, Environment Minister F. Benda and the Director
of the Division of Defense and Security at the Government Office, Lt.
Col. J. Taborsky. The State Defense Council was appointed by the
president on Wednesday, February 17.
Ivan Medek Becomes Divisional Director Of The President's Office
The offer by Vaclav Havel to become the Director of the Internal
Politics Division of the President's Office was accepted by a music
critic Ivan Medek. In 1977, he was one of the signatories of the Charter
77, in August 1978 he emigrated to Austria where he collaborated with
the radio stations Free Europe and Voice of America.
Change Of Citizenship More Difficult
Starting Monday, February 22, Slovak citizens who opt for CR
citizenship must apply for a release from the SR citizenship. They will
be conferred CR citizenship, provided they meet the following conditions
- two years of uninterrupted residence on the CR territory, and a clean
criminal record for the most recent five years - for intentional crimes.
According to the head of the department of citizenship and records of
the Interior Ministry, K. Guliskinova, about 34 thousand Slovak citizens
have applied for CR citizenship to date.
Romany Means Human Being
A seminar on ethnic and race problems was organized by the Group
for Human Rights at the Helsinki Civic Association (HCA), and by the
Heinrich Boll Endowment on February 19 at the Faculty of Social Sciences
of Charles University (abbrev. UK) in Prague.
Contributors were Vaclav Trojan for HCA, Josef Banon for the Romany
Democratic Association, Doc. Jirina Siklova from the Faculty of
Philosophy of UK, Dr. Vlado Olah, the chairman of the Romany Fund,
a former deputy Ing. Karel Holomek for the Society of Romanys in
Moravia, Gejza Demeter, the editor of the magazine Gendalos, literary
critic and a member of the Tolerance Endowment Josef Vohryzek, Dr.
Chalupova from the President's office, and others.
The discussion was concerned with the catastrophic condition of the
Romany population in the north of Bohemia where the problems left behind
by the Second World War, the Communist policies of the past 40 years are
compounding and deepening by the present political transformation: the
development of heavy industry and construction of power stations running
on low-grade coal without regard for the land, living environment and
those who work there. Migration of people who came just to earn money,
social insecurity, unbearable living conditions, unsuitable composition
of the population - the highly educated people, if they could, left the
region. Romany, who were transported to Northern Bohemia as unqualified
hired laborers, find themselves on the margin of the society also
because they have the lowest level of education. Children who, instead
of the Romany language, have to learn Czech in grade 1, run into
problems and are routinely relocated to special schools. There is
a desperate shortage of highly educated Romanys. The unemployment rate
among Romanys exceeds 50% in some areas. Illegal by-laws of local
authorities, directed against Romany, testify about the deterioration of
state authority. Attempts to discriminate against Romanys even showed up
in the legislative process of the newly established republic, e.g., in
the citizenship act.
Many participants in the discussion spoke about racism against
which there is less resistance on the part of the population and police
than, for example, in neighboring Germany. The solution leading to co-
existence of the Romany ethnicity and the Czech majority requires a lot
of time, and the Romany community has to participate in it. The issues
are the conception of schools and education in general, counseling, and
help in job finding. Here is an open opportunity for volunteer
organizations and associations. The main safeguards for respecting the
human rights and the law must come from the government and the
parliament.
Unemployment
The number of unemployed in CR rose from 134,788 at the end of the
last December to 158,113 at January 31 this year. According to the
statement by the deputy director of the division for employment policy
at the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs V. Skalny, the prognosis of
this year's unemployment rate is 5 to 6 percent.
CR Has Foreign Trade Deficit
The foreign trade balance of CR for 1992 is, according to the data
from the Ministry of Industry and Trade, passive and makes 664 million
dollars (US). The total volume of foreign trade increased in 1992 in
comparison with the previous year by 13.1 percent.
Oscar Nomination
The Czech director Michaela Pavlatova was nominated for the
American Film Academy Award in the category of animated film for her
seven-minute film Chatter, Chatter, Chatter (Reci, reci, reci).
EXCHANGE RATES OF THE CZECH CROWN
purchase sale
FRG 1 DEM 17.29 18.21
USA 1 USD 28.17 29.57
UK 1 GBP 40.41 43.55
Austria 1 ATS 2.46 2.58
France 1 FRF 5.07 5.39
Canada 1 CAD 22.05 23.61
The rates are as of February 24.
SPORTS
Ice Hockey
The last round of the superstructure part of the federal hockey
league has decided the fate of another team which drops out of further
competition for the title. After Plzen, it is Bratislava's Slovan which
lost at Vitkovice 4:9. Until recently, the next-to-the-last Pardubice
team also lost (2:3 with Kladno) but its survival was decided by
a better balance from matches with Slovan. The fifth and twelfth place
teams played the first round of the play-off with the following results:
Ceske Budejovice - Pardubice 1:2, Zlin - Jihlava 4:1, Kladno - Poprad
6:2 and Kosice - Olomouc 5:0. The teams which placed first to fourth,
that is, Litvinov, Sparta Praha, Trencin and Vitkovice, will later fight
against the winners of these duels.
Soccer
After the winter break, the still federal soccer league resumed its
activity. The most interesting match of the round, between the players
of the capitals of both new republics, the home team of Slovan
Bratislava and Sparta Praha. The other Prague team - Bohemians - sank to
the last place after losing 1:2 to the second-place Dunajska Streda. The
leader of the chart is still Sparta Praha.
WEATHER
This winter's variable weather caused another snowfall in many
places of our republic, and the temperatures do not exceed zero even
during daytime. The inversion-related fogs and smog have definitively
dispersed, and the air is relatively clean even in cities. Skiing
conditions are good only in a few mountain resorts.
translation: KOVARIK@sscvax.cis.ncmaster.ca
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