Copy Link
Add to Bookmark
Report
Carolina (English) No 122
CCCCC AA RRRRR OOOO LL II NN N AA
CC AA A RR R OO O LL II NNN N AA A
CC AA A RRRRR OO O LL II NN N N AA A
CC AAAAAA RR R OO O LL II NN NN AAAAAA
CCCCC AA A RR R OOOO LLLLLL II NN N AA A
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
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
C A R O L I N A No 122, Friday, June 10, 1994.
FROM THE EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK (JUNE 1-8)
Creation of Senate Not Approved
At the June 2 session the Deputy Parliament did not pass the draft
of a bill on Senate elections to create a second chamber of Parliament.
Currently, a two-chamber Parliament is stipulated in the constitution.
Coalition parties verbally agree with the creation of a Senate body
but they did not manage to agree on an electoral system for the body.
The most powerful coalition party--the Civic Democratic Party
(ODS)--supports 81 one-mandate districts rather than 27 three-mandate
districts. Opposition parties have not supported the creation of
a Senate. The Social Democratic Party proposed deleting reference to
a Senate from the constitution, but this suggestion was not supported.
The June 2 vote effectually delaying the creation of a senate was
described as "the biggest victory for the opposition since 1989" in the
June 3 edition of Mlada fronta Dnes.
Reaction to the rejection of the bill varied. In remarks made to
Czech TV, President Vaclav Havel said there is not enough political
support for the creation of a Senate.
Minister of Interior Affairs Jan Ruml (ODS) said he believes it
will be possible to redraft the bill and pass it after Parliament
discussion.
ODS chairman Vaclav Klaus confirmed that his party strongly
supports the creation of the Senate, in compliance with the constitution
of the Czech Republic. Klaus described statements by some political
parties calling the bill unconstitutional and their suggestions that
some senatorial powers should be passed to the president in the event
that the creation of a Senate is abandoned as "bluffing and
grandstanding" Martin
Nearly Half of Czech Citizens Support a Single-Chamber Parliament
Forty-five percent of respondents to a poll conducted by the
Institute for Research of Public Opinion prefer a single-chamber
Parliament. Eighteen percent prefer a two-chamber Parliament and 37
percent were unable to answer the question. The poll was conducted in
April and May. Lida
Augustin Pinochet Ends Visit to Czech Republic June 4
A Chilean military delegation headed by General Augustin Pinochet
concluded discussions with Czech munitions and military technology
suppliers on June 4. Pinochet's visit prompted extensive media coverage
spurred by criticism of the Czech government for allowing him to enter
the country in light of his actions as former Chilean head of state.
Frantisek Kurka, deputy general director of joint-share holding
company Omnipol--which hosted the Chilean delegation--expects to
continue negotiations with the group. Kurka said the Chileans discussed
the possibility of purchasing military technology discarded by the Czech
army as well as new technology produced by Czech manufacturers.
(We informed you of reactions to Pinochet's visit in the last
edition.)
Premier Vaclav Klaus said that too much attention and speculation
surrounded the visit, which was not arranged by or supported by the
Czech government. He called the letter protesting Pinochet's visit and
signed by 28 foreign journalists accredited in Prague "strange". He
emphasized that it bothered him that a much greater game was played
around Pinochet than he deserved, and that much of the speculation
surrounding the visit was created by journalists. Each country must deal
with the past in its own way, he added, and he sees no reason why Czech
companies shouldn't conduct arms trade with Chile, where all possible
democratic conditions are ensured.
Vice-Chairman of the Christian Democratic Party (KDS), Vaclav Benda,
said he doesn't regard Pinochet as a criminal but rather as a courageous
man who saved his country from revolution and civil war. He extended
a luncheon invitation to Pinochet, explaining that he wanted to make
clear that not everyone in this country is a victim of Goebbels'
propaganda. General Pinochet politely refused the invitation. KDS
Chairman, Ivan Pilip, reacted to the announcement of the luncheon
invitation by saying that the statements of some KDS members don't
express the official party standpoint. Martin
Income Statements of Deputies and Government Officials Made Available to
the Public
The Chamber of Deputies accepted a court ruling making the income
statements of Deputies and government officials available to the public.
The income statements, reflecting private earnings and gifts that total
more than 16,000 Czech crowns (the amount of a deputy's monthly
paycheck), were first made available to the public on June 6. .
Only notes can be made of the documents, and they can't be xeroxed
or otherwise copied. Martin
Masaryk-Benes Correspondence To Be Published
Unknown correspondence between Thomas Garrigue Masaryk and Edward
Benes from October 1918 through December 1919 will be published for the
first time by the Archive of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech
Republic.
"Masaryk and Benes in Their Letters During the Period of The Paris
Peace Meetings," was edited by Zdenek Solle. Solle said that the
correspondence chronicles a seminal period in Czech history, when
a sovereign Czechoslovakia was recognized for the first time in 100
years. The ninety-seven letters reflect Masaryk's and Benes's ideas on
how to "deal with the Czech thing" as Lidove Noviny wrote of the book.
The paper added that much of the correspondence reads as "orders and
commands" which enabled Benes,based in Paris, to make Masaryk's ideas
for the country a reality.
Martin
Welcome to Prague! The City of Kafka and Svejk...
...A Cautionary Tale
Students of journalism are capable of writing about everything. In
order to change words into actions, or better said again into words,
I will give you a mathematics lecture on how the bill in the fish
restaurant in Prague's Betlemske square is prepared. The author of the
bill is definitely not trying to lure the visitor for a second visit.
My original dilemma, whether or not to order something to eat, ended
when I saw the menu. For between 50 and 150 Czech crowns the restaurant
offered different kinds of fish and even (for a higher price) frogs
legs, something that is very unusual for a "downtown" restaurant. In the
midst of my dinner, I heard an English woman say she didn't understand
the bill. The fact that numbers aren't internationally understood was
something I realized later. But for now, count with me: I had a broiled
trout (mmm...mmm...), which was listed on the menu as only 65 Czech
crowns. However, on the bill the charge was 130 Czech crowns. "The rest
is supplement charge" said the waiter in a sweet voice. So according to
my calculations--watch closely--the original price was 65 Czech crowns,
the supplement charge was 72 Czech crowns. I realized that in the menu
there truly was a note saying that each additional gram of fish was 3
Czech crowns above the menu price. But there was no note that the fish
could be twice as heavy as the listed 150 grams.
The English woman,with a hurt smile, paid. I also had no other
option but to pay, but I was sure to look angry. For her it wasn't such
a big difference in price, but she definitely has a good memory. She
will keep in mind that her bill contributed to the hundred towers of
Prague. Radim
Phone Booth Cheaters at the Main Post Office
Some people are abusing public phone booths and making
long-distance international calls for next to nothing, according to
employees of the Main Post Office, where many of the booths are located.
The cheaters use coins covered by adhesive. The coins are designed
to get stuck inside the change slot and register repeatedly as newly
inserted coins. Post Office employees estimate that some of the cheaters
can make calls worth 2,000 Czech crowns for four to six Czech crowns.
A one minute long-distance call to Germany is 25,20 Czech crowns, to
Spain 31,50 Czech crowns and to the USA 63 Czech crowns. Aram
ECONOMY
Russia to Pay 3,5 Billion Dollar Debt by 2003
On June 8 the Czech cabinet approved a plan for Russia to repay
outstanding debts to the Czech Republic by the year 2003. The agreement
was finalized by the Czech Deputy Minister of Finance Vladimir Rudlovcak
and Russian Deputy Minister of Finance Andrej Vavilov a week earlier.
The debt will be paid with goods valued at 330 million US dollars and by
levelling surplus stand-by credit of 32 million US dollars. The goods
payment schedule is broken down into 52 million US dollars in 1994, 101
million US dollars in 1995, and 391 million US dollar in 1996.
Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus considered the Czech-Russian
negotiations on debt payment successful. He cited as positive that the
1:1 exchange rate of the former "convertible" rouble and the US dollar
remains valid, and that the terms of the yearly installments and the
interest rates of 2,75 to 5 percent, had been firmly set.
He also added that "a hint of approval by Russian Prime Minister
Chernomyrdin to the Czech suggestion that the list of bartered goods
include oil and gas could come at any time." Martin
The Pensions Seems to Be Higher by the End of the Year
Monthly pensions for retired citizens should increase by 200 Czech
crowns (5 percent) beginning December 1994, said Prime Minister Vaclav
Klaus following the June 1 Cabinet meeting.
Data from the Czech Social Security Office states that the average
pension in 1993 was 2,806 Czech crowns, with male pensioners receiving
an average of 3,143 Czech crowns per month and females receiving 2,480
Czech crowns monthly. Lida
Salaries Are Highest in Prague
The average monthly salary for citizens working in Prague is 858
Czech crowns higher than average salaries in the rest of the country,
according to data released by the Prague Municipal Statistics Office.
Average gross income for individuals in Prague is 6,688 Czech crowns.
According to the newly released figures, Prague families spend
nearly 30 percent of their income on food and 10 percent on rent.
The country's lowest average monthly income is 4,642 Czech crowns in
the Moravian district of Vyskov. In Bohemia, the lowest average monthly
incomes can be found in the eastern regions (5,258 Czech crowns) and in
the southern regions (5,448 Czech crowns).
Employees of banks and insurance companies earn the highest average
salaries (over 10 000 Czech crowns per month), with civil servants
earning the next highest (about 8000 Czech crowns). Retail business
employees and laborers earn the lowest salaries not exceeding 4300 Czech
crowns.
In the business sector, the highest salaries are earned by employees
of foreign joint-venture firms (nearly 9000 Czech crowns), with
employees of domestic private companies earning an average 6,025 Czech
crowns per month. Lida
EXCHAGE RATES OF THE CZECH NATIONAL BANK (valid from June 8)
CHECKS CASH
country Buy Sell Middle Buy Sell
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Australia 1 AUD 21.408 21.624 21.516 20.45 22.59
Belgium 100 BEF 84.866 85.718 85.292 82.59 87.99
Great Britain 1 GBP 43.926 44.368 44.147 42.73 45.57
Denmark 1 DKK 4.463 4.507 4.485 4.29 4.69
Finland 1 FIM 5.270 5.322 5.296 4.80 5.80
France 1 FRF 5.121 5.173 5.147 4.95 5.35
Ireland 1 IEP 42.954 43.386 43.170 41.17 45.17
Italy 1000 ITL 18.039 18.221 18.130 17.36 18.90
Japan 100 JPY 27.747 28.025 27.886 26.59 29.19
Canada 1 CAD 21.323 21.537 21.430 20.54 22.32
Luxemburg 100 LUF 84.866 85.718 85.292 82.29 88.29
Netherlands 1 NLG 15.577 15.733 15.655 15.18 16.14
Norway 1 NOK 4.034 4.074 4.054 3.90 4.20
New Zealand 1 NZD 17.249 17.423 17.336 16.59 18.09
Portugal 100 PTE 16.829 16.999 16.914 15.73 18.09
Austria 1 ATS 2.483 2.507 2.495 2.44 2.56
Greece 100 GRD 11.707 11.825 11.766 11.06 12.48
Germany 1 DEM 17.465 17.641 17.553 17.09 18.01
Spain 100 ESP 21.292 21.506 21.399 20.40 22.40
Sweden 1 SEK 3.675 3.711 3.693 3.53 3.85
Switzerland 1 CHF 20.607 20.815 20.711 20.21 21.21
USA 1 USD 29.187 29.481 29.334 28.63 30.03
EC-ECU 1 XEU 33.720 34.058 33.889 -- --
IMF-SDR 1 XDR 41.093 41.505 41.299 -- --
Slovakia 1 XCU -- -- 33.889 -- --
WEATHER
The weather has not changed much since last week. Mornings are cool
with temperatures below 10 degrees Centigrade. The forecast for
Wednesday, our deadline day, is 25 degrees Centigrade, but during the
second half of the week it should get colder.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
This news may be published only with "CAROLINA" designation. The
subscription is free. Comments and remarks are appreciated. Send them
please to the address:
carolina@n.fsv.cuni.cz
To subscribe to CAROLINA you send an e-mail message to the address
LISTSERV@CSEARN.BITNET
or to the address:
LISTSERV@EARN.CVUT.CZ
The text of the message is:
SUBSCRIBE CAR-ENG First name Last name
for the English version or
SUBSCRIBE CAR-CS First name Last name
for the Czech version. To delete your subscription from the list
you send the following message to LISTSERV@EARN.CVUT.CZ:
SIGNOFF CAR-ENG or SIGNOFF CAR-CS
Please, don't send automatic replies to our list. You can temporalily
stop receiving of Carolna by sending the command:
SET CAR-ENG NOMAIL
The command should be sent to the address LISTSERV@EARN.CVUT.CZ
