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Carolina (English) No 097
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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) 24810987
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
C A R O L I N A No 97, Friday, December 3, 1993.
NEWS OF THE PAST WEEK (25.11 - 2.12)
Milan Uhde Rejects German Parliament Head's Invitation
Czech Parliament Speaker Milan Uhde rejected Tuesday an invitation
from his German counterpart Rita Suessmuth for their parliaments to
discuss compensation for Czech victims of Nazism and issues of the
Sudeten Germans.
Following the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia in World War II,
3.2 million ethnic Germans, known as Sudeten, were expelled from the
country at the end of the war.
During his visit to Germany, Uhde said questions concerning Sudeten
Germans are "subjects for private discussions" and not a subject for
discussion among politicians or members of parliament.
According to Czech presidential Spokesman Ladislav Spacek, President
Vaclav Havel is not going to express any opinion on the matter between
Uhde and Sussmuth, in order not to interfere in parliamentary matters.
By telephone, Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus thanked Uhde for his
"clear and penetrating presentation, so necessary on German soil."
Civic Democratic Party Holds Fourth Congress During Weekend
Vaclav Klaus was re-elected chairman of the ruling Civic Democratic
Party at the party's fourth national congress on the weekend in
Koprivnice.
The 268 delegates kept the leadership structure intact, also
re-electing Peter Cermak as first vice-chairman, and Josef Zieleniec,
Jan Strasky and Jiri Vlach as vice-chairman.
In the executive council of the party are Bohdan Dvorak, a former
vice- chairman, and Miroslav Macek, who disappeared from the political
scene after scandals last year.
According to reports in the Czech press, the voting wasn't without
problems. In the first round, voting was annulled because the number of
ballots exceeded the number of delegates eligible to vote. Cermak, who
failed to win confirmation on the first ballot by a vote of 135-126,
succeeded on the second ballot. Congress also adopted two party stands.
It supported Klaus in his position that new administrative districts
need not be drawn by the time of local elections in 1994.
The Congress also suggested revoking the titles of Doctor of
Political Science, which was given to graduates of the Communist
Party's Political University.
Bill Clinton Will Come to Prague
Czech President Vaclav Havel and his office are starting
preparations for U.S. President Bill Clinton's visit to Prague.
According to sources, the visit will take place January 12.
Presidential Spokesman Ladislav Spacek said Wednesday that details
of Clinton's visit will be released as soon as possible. The European
trip is also set to include stops in Brussels and Moscow.
According to Clinton Press Secretary Dee Dee Myers, Clinton won't
visit the Ukraine, but didn't exclude the possibility of negotiations in
Byellarussia. According to sources, Bill Clinton will likely meet
leading representatives of the four countries gathered in the Visegrad
Group during his journey.
Members of the Czech Parliament Negotiated New Tax Laws
Amendments to the road tax law and the real estate law were passed
by Parliament December 1.
According to the road tax, owners of the cars meeting European
Economic Board standards for catalystic converters will be extempt from
paying the road tax. Cars used by employees for their business trips
will not be extempted.
The amendment to the real estate tax law gives municipalities
greater power in setting property taxes.
Parliament also negotiated the goverment proposals for the
inheritance tax, donation tax, real estate transfer tax and an amendment
to the value added tax.
The motions of the inheritance tax, donation tax and real estate
transfer tax presume a slight increase in these taxes. In spite of this,
the Czech Republic should remain a country with one of the lowest taxes
of this type. A proposal by Civic Democratic Party member Richard
Mandelik for a 50 percent reduction in the inheritance tax caused
a great number of proposed amendments and discussion was halted.
Trains Didn't Stop
A five-hour strike of railway workers announced for November 29,
failed to occur. Leaders of the Railway Workers Labor Union called off
the strike after reaching an agreement with Czech Minister of Transport
Jan Strasky.
Strasky confirmed that he had promised that new fare tariffs for
workers are the last price increase until the end of the transformation
of the Czech railways.
The agreement will allow family members of railway workers to get
a certain amount of free tickets . Postponing establishment of the the
new rates was achieved by the Labor Union Representatives during the
negotiations.
Danger of Fascism and Racism Still Increasing in the Czech Republic
The number of fascist and racist movements continues to rise in the
Czech Republic, according to anti-racist organizations, judicial
authorites, police, and even the racist groups themselves..
More than ten underground magazines popularizing fascism and the
race hatred against Gypsies, Vietnamese and Jews are published regularly
and an anti-semitic magazine called "Today" is published legally. After
a similar weekly, "Politics", was dissolvedd earlier this year, "Today"
is the second magazine of such content officially allowed.
The Ministry of Culture, which is in charge of registering magazines
and newspapers, only screens them during the act of registration and
doesn't when they actually start coming out anymore.
According to one of the members of a movement called "National
Fascist Group," the main motivation of the fascist and racist movements
is to prevent the situation similar to Germany in which waves of
immigrants and refuges have arrived.
"It is not possible for us to accept such a huge amount of
immigrants when we already have so many unmanagable Gypsies," he said.
According to article 260 of the criminal law, anyone spreading
national, race, class or religious hatred in public can be senceted to
up to five years in jail. However, Czech authorities haven't succeeded
in prosecuting under the law.
One of the last cases is the Czech Oi-rock group called "Branik".
According to legal experts, the band's lyrics are undoubtedly
inconsistent with the valid criminal law. However, a police investigator
dropped the case, saying that they commited no crime.
One of Branik's songs says: "The Czech Republic belongs to Czechs.
In a side street, there is a negro. He poisons the air, disturbs the
peace. Pour them with gas, burn them all...".
Another case involved the release of the publishers of the "Minutes
of the Zionistic Wise Men," an anti-semitic pamphlet, for the second
time.
According to lawyers, the attitude of state authorities is caused by
the fact that there are few willing to be witnesses in such cases.
Deputy General Prosecutor Pavel Bret said there is a certain
unwillingess of state representaives to judge these cases because of
often broad public support for the racist movements and positions.
According to Bret, skinheads sometimes stand in for the police and part
of the public likes them for that.
Czech Interior Minister Jan Ruml promised during a meeting of the
"Movement for Civic Solidarity and Tolerance," which fights against race
intolerance, that he would publish an all-embracing report on the state
of racism in the country. A part of this report will be dedicated to how
to prevent racism and fascism.
Romany Disliked by Three-Fourths Czechs
More than three-quarters of all Czechs say they dislike Romany, or
Gypsies, according to results of a November survey.
The survey reported that only 3 percent of Czechs said they like
Romany, while 77 percent said they don't. Sixteen percent said they fell
somewhere in the middle, and 4 percent reported no feelings toward the
republic's largest minority group.
The survey by the Institute of Public Opinion Research asked 802
people 15 years or older their feelings towards national minorities. The
survey was reported in the Czech press.
The survey also found that Czechs have the most favorable view of
Slovaks, with 69 percent viewing them sympathetically. Only 39 percent
reported such feelings toward Poles, 35 percent toward Germans and 33
percent toward Jews.
People age of 15-29 have the least favorable feelings towards
national minorities. Comparisons with a March survey, (reported in
CAROLINA, issue 71) show that the favorable view toward Slovaks
increased by 11 percent points.
Czechs Oppose Church's Property Restitution
A survey by the Institute of Public Opinion Research on the question
of further restitution of church property showed that 64 percent of
those surveyed opposed such moves. In favor of continued restitution
were only 29 out of 802 respondents.
Fifty percent are against restitution of property to social or
sports organizations.
Relatively little opposition is found for restitution of property to
the Jewish community. Opposed to the restitution were 47 percent, with
37 percent in favor.
One-fourth of men and one-third of women agree with the continued
restitution of church property.
World AIDS Day Marked
Medical reports released a few days before World AIDS Day show that
166 cases of HIV-infection have been recorded in the Czech Republic, 45
of which had developed into full-blown AIDS and 33 which had caused
death.
Ten percent of the cases reported occurred among women, a percentage
that is rising.
On December 1, hundreds of young people gathered at Wenceslas Square
to demonstrate their concern with the problem. More than a thousand
candles were lighted for people who have died from AIDS-related
illnesses. Doctors from the specialized AIDS Center were on hand to
answer people's questions.
Also, the activist group "Lust Without Risk" began an educational
campaign among prostitutes along the E-55 highway. The highway, a major
route from Prague to Germany, has become an notorious strip for
prostitution.
Animal right activists rally against leather manufacture
Under the slogan "Better naked than in fur," about 30 supporters of
the Animal SOS foundation protested against leather manufacturing
November 29.
In front of The House of Style on Wenceslas Square, passers-by in
the sub-freezing temperatures saw eight activists dressed only in
swimming suits. The demonstration followed the pattern of ones held
abroad.
Petr Bergmann, spokesman of the group, said the main reasons for the
protest were the killing of animals just for leather and the shocking
living conditions in the cages.
Leaflets given out said that such demonstrations in France and Great
Britain had resulted in large decreses of fur sales, forcing firms to
focus their attention on Central and Eastern Europe.
The leaflet said that to manufacture one fur coat requires 65 mink
or 130 cinchilla furs.
ECONOMICS
Report From The Stock Exchange
During trading sessions November 25 and 30, the Prague Stock
Exchange saw trading valued at 461.1 million crowns, with nearly
three-fourths of the action on Tuesday's session.
In comparison with Thursday's trading at the central market of 74.4
million crowns, Tuesday's 190 million crowns were a record high. Another
record set was the highest number of issues sold -- 337, inluding 326
shares of coupon privatization.
While Thursday's session showed continued declines, with 200 stocks
falling and 121 rising, Tuesday saw gains, with several stocks reaching
the maximum allowable one-day increase of 20 percent.
Skoda Plzen, which closed down 17.7 percent Thursday at 520 crowns
a share, finished Tuesday at 624 crowns. CKD Praha shares went from 390
to 468 crowns, Aero from 250 to 300, and CZ Strakonice from 390 to 468
crowns.
The most active stocks remain Cokoladovny, at 6,500 crowns, and
Tabak, at 7,300.
Bank shares were mixed.
Except for the steady decline of Vodni stavby, now at 896 a share,
the biggest looser was the Ceska pojistovna, which dropped 2,600 crowns
to close at 10 400. In spite of that it remains the richest privatizated
company, with the brewery Radegast closing in behind.
Most of privatization funds shares were rising too.
Exchange Rates of the Czech National Bank (valid from December 3)
CASH CHECKS
Buy Sell Buy Sell Middle
EMS-ECU 1XEU - - 33,225 33,559 33,392
France 1FRF 4,83 5,23 5,002 5,052 5,027
Italy 1 000ITL 16,63 18,17 17,315 17,489 17,402
Japan 100JPY 26,14 28,74 27,303 27,577 27,440
Canada 1CAD 21,43 23,21 22,208 22,432 22,320
Neatherlands 1NLG 15,03 15,99 15,427 15,583 15,505
Austria 1ATS 2,41 2,53 2,460 2,484 2,472
Germany 1DEM 16,92 17,84 17,296 17,470 17,383
Switzerland 1CHF 19,40 20,40 19,800 20,000 19,900
USA 1USD 29,14 30,54 29,686 29,835 29,835
Great Britain 1GBP 42,79 45,63 43,989 44,431 44,210
CZECH AND SLOVAK CASH EXCHANGE RATES
Slovak crown in Czech Republic Czech crown in Slovakia
Bank / 100 Sk Buy Sell Bank / 100 CEK Buy Sell
Cs.obchodni banka 88,00 92,00 Cs.obchodna banka 107,00 113,00
Ceska sporitelna 82,00 86,00 VUB 106,00 114,00
Komercni banka 77,00 81,00 Slovenska statna
Investicni banka 78,00 83,00 sporitelna 105,00 113,00
Coopbanka 82,00 86,00 COOPbanka 107,00 113,00
Federal money completely gone
On November 30, Czechs used the old two- and five-crown coins for
the last time. Those coins were the last federal money used. Businesses
can return them until december 10th. Exchange of the old coins for the
new ones will be possible in the banks until the end of February.
SCHOOLS - STUDENTS
Starting Next Year Most of Secondary School Students Will Pay For Books
On December 1, the goverment discussed proposals concerning free
books and facilities at schools. First grade basic school pupils will be
given books free and will not have to return them. Other basic school
pupils will get them free too, but will have to return them, the same as
some special secondary school, such as the ones for blind or handicapped
students.
Most of secondary school students will pay for books from the next
year. But the headmasters will found libraries sponsored by the state,
where some 30 percent of students might borrow them. Headmasters will
judge which of the students will get them. The government believes that
after two years this will drop to less than 10 percent. Books in use
will be sold at half-price.
HEALTH
Prominent Prague Hospital Will Be Privatizated
The starting price of the hospital Na Homolce, which in the past
served prominent politicals and their relatives, is 1.3 billion crowns.
The price was set at a meeting of goverment ministers November 30.
Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus said the associated Leksell Gama Knife
will not be privatizated. It was bought by money collected by the public
and it is the property of the foundation, which organized the
collection.
This year's donation from the state is 80 million crowns.
Rescue Units Face Mass Walkout
Prague rescue squad drivers are considering resigning en masse.
"For some time now, employees have been leaving due to pay, and
I doubt that replacements can be found," said Pavel Getlik, Prague
rescue service director.
Drivers are already working over-time to ensure safe operations.
The 18-location rescue service, with flight unit, currently employs
240. Each new driver must complete 100 hours of medical education. But
according to Getlik, no new workers are applying. The situation is
similar in other towns.
With awards and bonuses, the average salary amounts to 6,402 crowns
per month.
Prague's chief magistrate, Jan Koukal, was cited in Mlada Fronta
Dnes as saying that he is planning to send the director a letter,
stating the city standpoint as founder of the service on the current
situation.
FROM SLOVAKIA
New Party on Slovak Political Scene
Slovakia's new liberal party, the Alliance of Democrats of the
Slovak Republic (ADSR), held its first assembly November 28, emerging
after more than six months of preparation.
The party formed following a split between Prime Minister Vladimir
Meciar, head of the Movement for a Democratic Slovakia, and Milan
Knazko, former foreign minister. Knazko was elected ADSR's party
chairman. Rudolf Filkus and Jan Budaj were voted in as vice-chairmen at
the Bratislava session.
Seven until-now independent members of parlaiment joined the party.
Knazko said he believes his party gets much of its support from
businessmen and entrepreneurs. He said he would like to cooperate with
the Christian Democratic Movement and the Slovak National Party. The
ADSR chairman said he would even consider an alliance with the liberal
wing of Meciar's Movement for a Democratic Slovakia.
CULTURE
Prague and Liturature
Pre-Christmas Prague is alive with liturature; poets and authors are
introducing their books, baroque texts are being read in the Memorial to
National Liturature, and talks and autograph sessions are taking place.
Residents and guests to the capital city can look forward to further
literary affairs in the coming days and weeks. The Strahov Memorial to
National Literature will host an evening "Round Table of
Contemporaries", for Czech poets and authors to recall old times. Among
those set to participate are Jiri Kolar, Josef Hirsal, Bohumila
Grogerova, and Pavel Tigrid.
Prague will soon welcome renowned American poet, Allen Ginsberg, who
began his visit in the Czech Republic at the Olomouc University.
Philosophical Faculty students will be able to attend his lecture
December 6, later others can see him at the American Culture Center.
Karlovy Vary Film Fest Seeks Sponsor
The Film Festival of Karlovy Vary Foundation will award sponsorship
to next year's international film festival to the highest bidder to
ensure financial support of the event.
The town, the Grandhotel Pupp, and the Ministry of Culture launched
the foundation. The Ministry of Culture will provide technical equipment
worth nearly 2 million crowns.
SPORT
President Havel Suspends Cyclist's Sentence
President Vaclav Havel delayed November 30 the beginning of
a prison term for cyclist Radomir Simunkov until his petition for
reprieve can be processed. The term had been scheduled to begin the next
day.
Simunkov, a several-time world champion in cross-race biking, was
found by the courts to have caused a car accident in which three people
died. The regional court in Beroun sentenced him to 18 months in prison.
Simunek's requested pardon, due to family reasons, was refused. He
petitioned the president July 2.
Presidential Spokesman Ladislav Spacek denied that the sentence was
delayed because Simunkov is a world champion. The postponement is
temporary, and doesn't necessarily mean that a pardon will be granted,
he said. The length of the reprieve was not made explicit.
Czech legislation has said that Simunek has full rights to take part
in top cross-racing tournaments. He will be able to start in the next
year's world championship in Belgium.
WEATHER
This weekend was predominantly cloudy, with a little snowy. Mornings
were misty. Daytime high temperatures ranged from 1 to 5 below zero
degrees Celsius, and nighttime lows were between 7 and 15 below zero.
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