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Carolina (English) No 093
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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
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
C A R O L I N A No 93, Friday, November 5, 1993.
EVENTS OF THE LAST WEEK (Oct. 28th - Nov. 4th)
The Czech Republic Celebrated the Anniversary of Forming of
Czechoslovakia
On October 28, Czechs marked the 75th anniversary of Czechoslovak
independence from the crumbling Austro-Hungarian Empire. Although the
country formed in 1918 ceased to exist more than ten months ago,
citizens as well as leading state representatives commemorated the
event.
Czech President Vaclav Havel, Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus and
Parliament Speaker Milan Uhde joined several thousand people marking the
anniversary by laying wreaths at the statue of St. Wenceslas in
Prague's Wenceslas Square on the eve of the anniversary.
The celebration continued the next day with Havel, Prague Town
Mayor Jan Koukal, a delegation of ruling-coalition partner ODA (Civic
Democratic Alliance) led by chairman Jan Kalvoda, representatives of
Milos Zeman's Social Democratic Party and members of labour unions and
other political and social organizations visiting the statue of the
Czech patron saint in the early morning hours.
Before noon, followers of the rightist Republican Party began to
gather in the upper part of the square to support their leader Miroslav
Sladek (see the following article).
The official program continued with an Ecumenical mass at Prague
Castle's St. Vitus Cathedral, and a celebration at Vladislav Hall with
speeches by Havel, Klaus and Uhde were given.
In an earlier statement, Klaus had rejected a "fight" with Sladek
over visits to Wenceslas Square and on Thursday morning he joined the
gatherings in Olomouc and Brno.
Miroslav Sladek: We Shall Win at Any Price !
Several thousand people gathered on Wenceslas Square October 28,
many drawn no doubt to see the conclusion of the drama of "The
President's Wreath".
With the arrival of the Republican chairman Miroslav Sladek,
banners and slogans appeared with Republican sentiments such as "Herr
Havel has assignements from Kohl" or "Havel + Disidents = Fifth Column
of Germany," along with the counter "Sladek, Be Locked Up."
After speeches of Republican members of parliament, Sladek took the
podium to address the freezing crowd.
Sladek's effort to lay a wreath on the Wenceslas statue was met
with a hail of eggs from opponents. Several police removed Sladek when
he tried to speak from atop the statue, and a brief scuffle between
police and Sladek's skinhead guards ensued.
Returning to the podium Sladek focused on the future. "As soon as
in the year 2000, the Republicans will gain the power in this country,"
he said.
"We'll win or we'll die," he said. "This is our moment. You people
will decide, you're the future of this nation. You're number one. You
will lead this land and the day is not far away. You, Republicans, will
return the republic to its power and glory. Your moment will come.
We'll win at any price."
Ten people were detained by police as the Republican rally ended.
Czechs Take UN Security Council Seat
The Czech Republic was chosen as a rotating member of the UN
Security Council October 29. The Czechs will take the seat January 1,
along with other new members Argentina, Nigeria, Rwanda and Oman.
In the second round of voting the Czech Republic received 127 votes,
11 more than needed. The alternative candidate country, Bylarus,
received 47 votes. According to Pavel Bratink, deputy minister of
foreign affairs, the Czech Republic fell just four votes short of being
chosen in the first round.
President Vaclav Havel welcomed the election of the Czech Republic
as a Security Council member. Havel said the election is a vote of
confidence for the Czechs. It also shows Czech commitment to take
responsibility for helping solve world problems.
After the first election-cicle, the Czech mission to the UN offered
its support to Bylarus for any future Bylarussian efforts to gain a seat
provided Minsk would abandon the current effort. The offer was rejected,
Bratink said.
Airplane Flies With Help to Sarajevo
A Czech Defense Ministry airplane loaded with cargo worth 3 million
crowns flew November 3 to Ascon, Italy en route to the besieged Bosnian
capital of Sarajevo.
For the final leg of the flight, the Czech plane will be accompanied
by a Norwegian cargo carrier.
In accordance with requests from Bosnia, mainly medicine and
children's instant porridge are on board.
From 20 million crowns collected so far by the SOS Sarajevo
charitable campaign, several trucks were dispatched with blankets and
food. Lidove Noviny has organized an account at the Postovni Banka
(1333333/1400) for contributions to SOS Sarajevo.
Writer Bohumil Hrabal has contributed 250,000 crowns, half of of the
money he won for the Jaroslav Seifert Award.
Renowned Mountaineer Visits Prague
Thanks to an invitation from Montana Tracking travel bureau, Sir
Edmund Hillary, the first man to climb Mt. Everest, arrived in Prague
November 3.
Hillary received the Golden Prize of Charles University, where he
met and talked with distinguished Czech mountaineeres. Hillary signed
autographs at the travel agency Wednesday afternoon. He is scheduled to
close his visit November 5 with a lecture at the Palace of Culture. The
event's profits will be used by Hillary for charitable purposes.
International Exposition MEDIA 93
Prague's Palace of Culture was the scene of the first international
exhibition of MEDIA 93 October 25-28. Radio and television stations,
billboard and advertising agencies, and press periodicals influencing
the Czech and Slovak Republics presented 79 exhibitions.
Entrepreneurs received price lists and information dealing with
advertising, and curiosity seekers collected plastic bags, pens and
stickers. From research conducted September 14-20, Agency AISA presented
circulation figures of daily and evening papers. Most read is the
tabloid Vecernik-Praha, with a close second being another tabloid,
Blesk. In third place is Mlada Fronta Dnes, followed by the new evening
paper Dobry Vecer.
British Capital Permeates Czech Beer
The British brewery Bass has obtained a 35 percent share of the
Prague Brewery a.s. The purchase was announced November 1.
The deal is the largest British capital investment in the Czech
Republic, and will make Staropramen, through Bass imports, the third
brand of Czech beer available in Great Britain. The foreign partner is
expected to to help the beer that advertises itself as "The Beer of
Golden Prague" double its current 10 percent share of the domestic Czech
market.
Czech Buses with French Esprit
Czech government-owned Carosa is forming a joint venture in bus
manufacturing with French-based Renault.
The French motor works will pay 60 million Czech crowns for a 34
percent stake in the Vysokem Myte division. Renault should eventually
own 51 percent of the factory.
The joint effort will fit the marketing plans of the partners and
offers the opportunity to develop compatible buses in all of Central and
Eastern Europe. The firms will work to improve Carosa's product
performance and design. Carosa will supply coachworks and Renault will
contribute motors. In the future, the firms look to assembly of truck
series. high lorries series. The agreement will allow Carosa to preserve
its trademark.
The firm's 1,700 employees will annually produce 3,500 buses.
The parent firm will also be placed in the upcoming second round of
coupon privatization.
Screen-writer and Director Zdenek Podskalsky Dies
Zdenek Podskalskyn, the author of television programs and film
comedies, and a well-known storyteller, died October 29 after a long
illness.
Podskalskyn, born in 1923, was regarded as a pioneer of Czech film
humor. He helped in the making of New Year's television progams, and
created successful TV caberet "Pehaps Even The Wizard Will Come".
He is remembered also for his films "Where the Devil Can't Go", and
the broad satire on socialist society, "White Lady".
Frantisek Filipovsky Dies
Frantisek Filipovsky, an actor in Prague's National Theater, died
October 26 after a long illness.
Filipovsky, who was born in 1907, was an actor in Voskovec and
Werich's Liberated Theater during the First Republic. In the National
Theater, he played many roles, including Harpagon in Molier's "Misers",
or the grave digger in Shakespeare's Hamlet.
He acted in the films "Cesta do hlubin studakovy duse" ("Voyage into
the depths of a student's soul"), and "Skola zaklad zivota" ("School on
the Basics of Life"). In TV series "Hrisni lide mesta prazskeho"
(Prague's Sinful People), he played Detective Mrazek. He also dubbed
films, lending a voice to French actor Louis de Funes. A memorial
service took place November 5 on the stage of the Narodni Divadlo.
Dressler Conquers Televison Tower
Josef Dressler, four-time world bike trial runner-up, conquered on
biked up the steps of the Zizkov TV tower.
He literally jumped up the 736-step, 124-meter fire escape, taking
30 minutes to make the climb. On the fifth floor of the tower,
a light-bulb broke and in the dark a notary for the Guinness Book of
World Records was unable to confirm whether the cyclist avoided touching
the ground. The mishap will prevent the feat from being registered in
the Guinness Book. Dressler said he is considering attempting the
world's tallest look-out tower -- CN Tower in Toronto.
NEWS FROM SLOVAKIA
Celebrations in Slovakia
Although October 28 is no longer an officially observed holiday in
Slovakia anymore, about 500 gathered the night before in front of the
statue of the Czech-Slovak friendship at Bratislava's Vajanske nabrezi
to commemorate the founding in 1918 of the Czechoslovak Republic.
They sang the Czechoslovak national anthem and laid wreathes of
flowers. This year it was the last time when Oct. 28th was
a non-working day in Slovakia.
Roman Zelenay Killed in Crash
Roman Zelenay, secretary of Slovakia's Ministry of Culture and
vice-chairman of the ruling HZDS party, died November 1 in a traffic
accident on the Bratislava-Brno highway. The accident occured near
a Czech customs post. Zelenay was heading to Germany on business
matters.
According to a Slovak police examiner, the accident was caused by
the 180 kilometer per hour speed the car was traveling, and inattention
of the minister's 24-year-old driver. The driver evidently didn't see
a number of trucks parked by the custom post, until too late, pulled to
the right and put the Ford Scorpio he was driving into a skid. He hit
a parked DAF truck and road barriers.
Zelenay, who was not wearing a seatbelt in the rear right seat, was
thrown out the broken rear window and suffered fatal head injuries. The
driver and Zelenay's 19-year-old interpreter weren't seriously injured.
SPORT
Czech and Slovak team beats Cyprus 3-0,
The Czech and Slovak football team defeated Cyprus in the World Cup
qualifying round at a October 27 match in Kosice, Slovakia, keeping
alive hopes to participate in the 1994 World Cup in the United States.
Coach Jezek praised his team and the 15,000 fans who attended.
Sparta Out of PMEZ: Anderlecht Brusel-Sparta Prague 4:2
On November 3, the 0 and 1 Sparta Prague team was eliminated from
the Cup Winner's Cup after a 4-2 loss to Andrlecht Brusel.
Exchange Rates of CR National Bank (price rates)
buy sell
Britan GBP 42,42 45,26
France FRF 4,81 5,21
Canada CAD 21,77 23,55
Austria ATS 2,42 2,54
Germany DEM 16,99 17,91
USA USD 28,93 30,33
FORECAST
Even though the sun was looking upon us during the weekend, mist won
in the end. The grey skies brought temperatures between 3-10 degrees
Celsius Evening temperatures dropped to 1 degree Celsius.
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