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Carolina (English) No 108
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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.cz
Fax: (+422) 24810987
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C A R O L I N A No 108, Friday, March 4, 1994.
EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK (February 24 - March 2)
Czech Soldiers Extent UNPROFOR Union Number
A contingent of 170 Czech soldiers joined the UNPROFOR unit in
Karlovac, Croatia February 27. The soldiers, who now total 500, will
soon be strengthened by an anti-tank platoon and by another three
companies -- mobile armored, engineering and reconnaissance, said Chief
of Staff Lubomir Frk on the day of departure from the UN peacekeeper
training base in Cesky Krumlov.
According to George Joseph Oehring, commander of the south section
of UNPROFOR units in the former Yugoslavia, the Czech UNPROFOR unit is
among the best serving in the Srbsko-Krajina section. In May, a Czech
officer is due to take command of the section.
Start of the Second Wave of Coupon Privatization Set
In the second wave of coupon privatization, 861 companies with
a value of 155 billions Czech crowns will be offered, said Jiri
Skalicky, minister of privatization, at a press conference February 28.
Included are 180 firms that were partially privatized during the
first wave of privatization in 1992-1993. The list of firms will be
published March 4.
Shares of those firms will be available for subscription April 11.
Those wishing to invest in funds will have until March 9 to do so. Each
Czech citizen had an opportunity to buy coupon books of 1000 investment
points for 1000 crowns.
Police Commanders Sentenced
Dr. Michal Danisovic and Bedrich Houbal were sentenced to three and
a half and three years for their roles in causing the security's forces
attack November 17, 1989 against demonstrators on Narodni Street in
Prague.
The Regional Court of Ceske Budejovice in Tabor found the defendants
guilty of abusing their power as public officials February 23.
Danisovic was sentenced to 3.5 years because as commander of the
security action he decided to surround the demonstrators at Narodni
Street with no possibility of escape.
Bedrich Houbal, the former commander of the garrison unit, issued
the order to squeeze the crowd. That order caused physical strain for
the demonstrators, who were also beaten by policemen. The former police
commanders will serve their sentences in prison.
Eleven former policemen have already been sentenced for the action
against thousands of demonstrators November 17. The brutality of the
attack was the catalyst for the student strikes and widespread
demonstrations that brought down the communist regime.
Kozeny Resigns as Chairman of HC&C
Victor Kozeny, president of the Harvard Capital and Consulting
Company, resigned from his duties as chairman of company's board of
directors, being replaced by Ivan Kralik January 18. The daily Cesky
Denik reports that Kralik, a lawyer, worked in the office of former
president Gustav Husak for 14 years.
Keeping his post as director general of HC&C is Frantisek Stehlik,
grandfather of Kozeny, with more than 90 per cent of the company's
shares.
Although Kozeny resigned as chairman of the board he is still
president of the company and remains one of five members of its board,
according to Mr. Vostry, HC&C's vice-president, quoted in the newspaper
Mlada Fronta Dnes.
Meanwhile, Kozeny failed to appear for questioning at Prague's
Investigation Office, where he was called in connection with an
investigation of Vaclav Wallis, a former member of the Federal
Information Service.
Kozeny is allegedly ill and being treated abroad. He refuses to
specify the country of his treatment but says that he will return by the
end of this month. He rejected suggestions that his departure was a way
of escaping the interrogation.
"I survived influenza and pneumonia and still I was found to suffer
from heart problems," said Kozeny. "I think that it would be ridiculous
trying to hide from the police. I was co-operating with the police
before Christmas, when I testified before the court in Plzen. "
Kozeny has a permanent residence in Boston, Massachusetts and
temporary residence in the Czech Republic.
Cigarettes with stamps
From March 1, sales of cigarettes without authorized stamps will be
illegal in the Czech Republic. The stamps are intended to help identify
products smuggled into the Czech market.
The stamps have to be affixed to the box under the cellophane cover.
There is the temporarily exception for some trademarks produced in the
Czech and Slovak republics, which have to bear the printed sign:
Designed for the sale in the Czech Republic. The exception is valid
until June.
FROM SLOVAKIA
Governmental Crisis Continues in Slovakia
Foreign Minister Jozef Moravcik resigned February 23, followed two
days later by Deputy Prime Minister Roman Kovac. Both politicians said
their aim was to simplify President Michal Kovac's decision-making.
Two weeks before, Moravcik, Roman Kovac, and seven others founded
the fraction Alternative for Political Realism (APR) within the
government's Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS).
APR demanded the creation of a broad coalition government without
the current leadership, including Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar. The
coalition, they said, would be capable of solving the country's
drawn-out crisis.
Moravcik and Kovac were removed from HZDS by the party, but the
president rejected Meciar's proposal to dismiss them from the
government.
President Kovac said February 27 that he'll accept the resignations
after he approves the premier's choice of a new foreign affairs
minister.
As of March 1, meanwhile, nearly 470,000 signatures had been
gathered in support of a referendum favored by Meciar. Under a law,
350,000 are needed to force a referendum on holding an early election
and on the loss of parliamentary seats by those who leave their parties.
Ladislav Mnacko Dies
"Death Called Engelchen", "Late Reports", and "How Power Tastes" are
among the most famous novels by Slovak writer and journalist Ladislav
Mnacko, who died February 24 of a heart attack.
Mnacko early on discovered the absurdity of the communist system,
writing his best works in the late fifties and sixties. He left
Czechoslovakia in 1967 to live in exile, and returned in 1968 only to
leave a year later. Mnacko had been living in Slovakia during last three
years, and reportedly wanted to move to Prague in the near future.
Mnacko's life was full of dramatic experiences, including an escape
from a concentration camp during the Second World War.
CULTURE
"Years of the Jackal" Wins First-Ever Czech Lion Award
Results of the competition for the year's best films in the Czech
Republic were announced February 25. The Czech Lion competition,
organized by the Vachler Art Company, is being held for the first time.
Organizers hope to become the Czech equivalent of the American Oscars.
The best film of the year was won by "Years of the Jackal", a story
from the '50s directed by Jan Hrebejk, who was awarded the best
director. The film won in the categories of Best Male Actor (Jozef
Abrham), and Best Music (Ivan Hlas). Jirina Bohdalova was voted Best
Actress for her role in the fairy-tale "Immortal Aunt". "Helimadoe", an
adaptation of Jaroslav Havlicek's psychological novel, was awarded best
script. Even "Bloody Novel", a parody of the trash literature of the
turn of the century, which used modes of expression from various stages
in film history, was successful. It won awards in Camera, Editing, and
Artistic Design.
Frantisek Vlacil, who among other works made a historical film
adapted from the book "Marketa Lazarova", by Vladislav Vancura, won
a special prize for his long years of contribution to Czech film.
The best foreign film of the year was Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner".
"Jurassic Park" was the biggest box-office hit.
Prestigious Publishing House Odeon to be Sold in Open Competition
Ivo Zelezny, publisher of light genres of literature will not buy
the publishing house Odeon, as was previously planned.
At the 22 February meeting of Czech economic ministers, it was
decided that Odeon will be privatized through public auction.
If the Czech government accepts this, then the recommendation of the
Ministry of Culture commission responsible for Odeon will be voided. The
commission had recommended the sale of Odeon, which is loosing money, to
Zelezny in the summer of 1993. His privatization project was criticized
both by rejected possible buyers of this publishing house, and by a part
of the cultured public.
Critics maintained that Zelezny's publishing plans would have
damaged the name of Odeon and limited the number of quality literature
publications. According to Economics Minister Karel Dyba, the danger
could be avoided by public auction.
SPORT
Czech Republic Fails to Gain a Medal at Lillehammer
Athletes of the Czech Republic came home without any medal from the
Winter Olympic Games in Lillehammer. The last time Czechs, playing for
Czechoslovakia, failed to earn a medal was in 1956.
In its last match the Czech hockey team, struggling for the fifth
place in the Olympic tournament, met the Slovak hockey players. It was
the first match between these hockey teams since the break-up of
Czechoslovakia. Although the Czech public was very interested in the
game, the reactions of the Czech press were calm, and newspapers did not
attribute to the match any other meanings than the sporting ones.
Editorials appreciated the peaceful and fair course of the game.
Exchange Rates of the Czech National Bank (valid from March 1)
CASH CHECKS
Buy Sell Buy Sell Middle
Great Britain 1GBP 42,74 45,58 43,937 44,379 44,158
France 1FRF 4,93 5,33 5,101 5,153 5,127
Italy 1 000ITL 16,85 18,39 17,534 17,710 17,622
Japan 100JPY 27,05 29,65 28,206 28,490 27,348
Canada 1CAD 21,09 21,87 21,873 22,093 21,983
Netherlands 1NLG 15,05 16,01 15,450 15,606 15,528
Austria 1ATS 2,42 2,54 2,467 2,491 2,479
Germany 1DEM 16,98 17,90 17,353 17,527 17,440
Switzerland 1CHF 20,25 21,25 20,649 20,857 20,753
USA 1USD 28,97 30,37 29,518 29,814 29,666
EMS-ECU 1XEU - - 33,488 33,824 33,656
Slovakia 1XCU - - - - 32,646
WEATHER
Frost is gone, temperatures remain above freezing even at
night...Spring is close.
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