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Carolina (English) No 168
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STUDENT'S E-MAIL NEWS FROM CZECH REPUBLIC
Faculty of Social Science of Charles University
Smetanovo nabr. 6
110 01 Prague 1
Czech Republic
e-mail: CAROLINA@cuni.cz
tel: (+42 2) 24810804, ext. 252, fax: (+42 2) 24810987
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C A R O L I N A No 168, Friday, July 28, 1995.
EVENTS FOR JULY 12-26, 1995
Parliament for First Time Strips Deputy of Immunity
At a special session July 25, Parliament voted to deliver
Republican deputy Jan Vik to the hands of the court. After nearly seven
hours of debate, broadcast live by Czech Television, 73 deputies out of
134 present voted to strip Vik of his parliamentary immunity.
Police officials asked that Vik, a deputy for the Assembly for the
Republic-Czechoslovak Republican Party (SPR-RSC), be handed over on
charges of propagating alarming information.
Vik's signature appeared on an SPR-RSC order form for the printing
of 1 million flyers, written in Czech and titled "Federal Government (of
Germany) Information for the Sudeten German Landsmannschaft Leadership."
The flyers urge to support ODS and the current Czech government
coalition, and claim that the top officials of Germany and the Czech
Republic agreed to recognize dual citizenship for Sudeten Germans (who
were expelled from Czechoslovakia after World War II), and to return
their property in return for compensation of Czech victims of Nazism.
On July 13 the flyers began turning up in mailboxes throughout the
Czech Republic, including Prague, Plzen, Brno and Bruntal. While the
names of German Chancellor Helmut Kohl and Minister of Finance Theo
Waigel are written at the end of the text, the press department of the
German embassy in Prague has officially declared the flyers to be
a fake.
Anti-nuclear Demonstrations on Bastille Day in Prague
Between 70 and 80 Greenpeace activists protested against the
renewal of nuclear testing on the Muroroa Atoll July 14 in front of the
French Embassy in Prague.
Guests arriving at the embassy for a reception commemorating
Bastille Day, the official start of the 1789 French Revolution, were
greeted by the activists with cries of "liberte, egalite,
radioactivite," and "arrogance, apathy, radiation."
Mlada fronta Dnes reported that President Havel, Premier Klaus and
several ministers when leaving had to cross the line of demonstrators,
dressed despite the heat in rubber anti-chemical suits and gas masks.
While the Greenpeace members tried to get them to sign a petition
demanding a stop to French nuclear testing, they failed to obtain even
a single signature.
Patient Refused Admittance to Hospital, Dies
Sixty-eight-year old Josef Bily, a volunteer blood donor, died July
16, several hours after the Havirov hospital refused to admit him.
Hospital officials claimed his life was not in danger and that he was
insured with the Miner Employee Health Insurance Company, who no longer
have an agreement with the hospital.
Police are still investigating the case. The main topic of debate
is whether the doctor on duty made a mistake or if the health care
system is to blame.
Jaroslav Foglar Lives
Based on a mistaken report by the Czech News Agency (CTK), several
media outlets announced Jaroslav Foglar, the 88-year-old author of the
comic-book adventures "Rychle sipy" ("Speedy Arrows"), as dead this past
weekend.
Although Foglar is at Thomayer Hospital in Prague, his response to
the news of his death, which he heard over the radio, was that he would
like to live to the age of his mother - 102.
Foglar, who was banned from publishing in the 1950s and 1970s, has
influenced three generations with more than two dozen books about the
exploits of the boys' gang Speedy Arrows.
Mysterious Circles in Wheat Field Attract Tourists
Wheat pictograms measuring 5, 8 and 11 meters in diameter have been
discovered in Klatovsko, southwest Bohemia, attracting
curiosity-seekers and scientists from throughout the country.
Experts say the regularity of the individual shapes, as well as the
direction and way in which the individual stalks are flattened, rules
out the possibility that the wheat fell accidentally.
News in Brief
* The government gave its approval to a two-year extension of the
screening law, i.e., until 1998, on Wednesday, July 12. The screening
("lustrace") law, adopted in October 1991, banned past high-ranking
members of the Communist Party, the Secret Police, and the People's
Militia from working in state administration and state enterprises for
a period of five years.
* While Premier Vaclav Klaus is vacationing in the Austrian Alps Deputy
Premier and Minister of Finance Ivan Kocarnik will assume his functions.
* President Vaclav Havel, too, is away on vacation, taking two weeks off
in his favorite summer retreat, Portugal.
* Minister of Industry and Trade Vladimir Dlouhy regained his position
as most popular Czech politician, followed by Free Democrats leader Jiri
Dienstbier and Foreign Minister Josef Zieleniec, while Vaclav Klaus was
bumped out of fourth place by Social Democrats Milan Zeman and Petra
Buzkova.
* While an "anti-smoking" law failed to clear Parliament for the second
time this year, nearly four-fifths (77.8 percent) of Czechs support
a legislative ban or restriction on smoking in public places, according
to a June poll by the Institute for Public Opinion Research (IVVM).
* Six percent of all Czechs would ban the use of naked women in
advertisements if it were up to them; 15 percent, on the other hand,
view it as "unambiguously positive."
* A 17-year-old girl became the 17th victim of the tragic bus accident
in Zilina (see the last issue of Carolina).
FROM SLOVAKIA
Slovak President Loses Authority
Under an amendment to the defense law adopted by Slovak Parliament
on the second attempt, Slovak President Michal Kovac no longer has the
constitutional power to appoint and dismiss the army chief of staff.
Previously Parliament stripped Kovac of his power to appoint and
dismiss the director of the Slovak Information Service (intelligence
agency) and the Prosecutor General.
15-Dollar-a-Day Requirement Does Not Apply to Czechs
Slovakia's requirement that foreigners entering the country must
have with them at least 15 dollars a day (see last Carolina) does not
apply to Czechs, according to a spokesman at the Czech Ministry of
Finance.
The director of Slovakia's Immigration and Border Police said the
law makes no exceptions but that Czech tourists need only show the
required amount in Czech crowns.
BUSINESS/ECONOMICS
Unemployment at 2.8 Percent for June
At a press conference Friday, July 14, Minister of Labor and Social
Affairs Jindrich Vodicka announced that the Novy Jicin district had the
highest rate of unemployment in the country at 6.5 percent, while Prague
showed the lowest at 0.2 percent.
Cost of Living up 15 Percent in Last 18 Months
Consumer price indexes prepared by the Czech Statistics Bureau
increased from December 1993 to June 1995 by 15 percent.
The newspaper Svobodne slovo wrote July 20 that the cost of
education topped the list with a 27.9 percent increase, followed by
housing costs at 21.7 percent, with health care bringing up the rear,
rising just 4.4 percent.
The price of potatoes and potato products has risen 143.9 percent.
Exchange Rates of the Czech National bank (valid from July 27)
Checks Cash
country buy sell middle buy sell
Great Britain 1 GPB 41,280 41,694 41,487 40,07 42,91
France 1 FRF 5,366 5,420 5,393 5,19 5,59
Italy 1000 ITL 16,193 16,355 16,274 15,50 17,04
Japan 100 JPY 29,439 29,735 29,587 28,29 30,89
Canada 1 CAD 19,078 19,270 19,174 18,28 20,06
Austria 1 ATS 2,646 2,672 2,659 2,60 2,72
Germany 1 DEM 18,606 18,792 18,699 18,24 19,16
Switzerland 1 CHF 22,381 22,605 22,493 21,99 22,99
USA 1 USD 25,922 26,182 26,052 25,35 26,75
Slovakia 1 XCU -- -- 34,745 --
CULTURE
Jesus Christ Superstar in Czech Celebrates First Birthday
Andrew Lloyd Webber's rock opera "Jesus Christ Superstar"
celebrated its first anniversary on the Czech stage Saturday, July 22.
After a full year of sell-out crowds at the Spirala theater, the
show moved to the Krizik Fountain at Prague's Fairgrounds for its 353rd
performance, followed by a concert the next day called "Rock with
Jesus," featuring the bands of the cast members.
So far the musical has earned a Czech "Gramy" and Dan Barta, who
plays Judas, was nominated for a "Thalie" theater prize.
No one yet knows when "Jesus Christ" will have its derniere, but
three months later Czech audiences will be treated to the premiere of
"Evita," with two-time "Gramy" winner Lucie Bila in the title role.
Rolling Stones Ready to Rock Prague Again After Five Years
More than 100,000 tickets have already been sold for the Rolling
Stones' Aug. 5 concert in Prague's Strahov stadium.
According to the organizers, Strahov can hold up to 115,000
spectators.
The Stones first appeared in Prague, also at Strahov, in August
1990.
Culture in Brief
* William Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew" premiered at Prague
Castle.
* American rocksters R.E.M. have announced a date for their third
attempt to play for Prague: Aug. 11 at Sportovni hala. Prague was the
only show the band rescheduled from its July tour.
* Singer Jimmy Sommerville, formerly of Bronski Beat, traveled to Prague
to promote his new album, "Dare to Love."
* 2 Unlimited, of Holland, received a gold record in Prague for selling
35,000 copies of its techno-pop album "The Real Thing."
* Status Quo will take the stage in Brno on Aug. 18.
SPORTS IN BRIEF
* In tennis, the pair of Petra Langrova and Helena Sukova earned the
Czech Republic a spot in the world group (the second highest) of the
Federation Cup by defeating Sweden, 4-1, in Pruhonice.
* This year's Czech champions in road cycling: Andrle (road race), Trkal
(time trial), and TICO Praha (team time trial).
* In this year's running of the Rally Bohemia, European king of the
roads Enrico Bertone, driving for the Czechs, took the trophy in his
Toyota, coming in ahead of Stig Blomqvist of Sweden in a Skoda Felicia.
* Also in tennis, the winners of the Czech Republic's Open Championship
were Czech Jiri Novak, in the men's event, and Slovak Radka Zrubakova,
in the women's event.
* It's getting to be a weekly event: Daniela Bartova, in her latest
record-breaking performance, raised the world record for pole vault
twice within 24 hours, clearing 4.16 meters in Feldkirch, Austria, then
4.17 meters in Gisingen, Switzerland.
* Alena Peterkova, 43, winner of the June 4 Prague International
Marathon, was found to have steroids in her blood after the race.
Peterkova, currently ranked no. 3 in the world, may now be facing
a four-year ban on racing.
* In soccer, Boby Brno finished a disappointing fourth in their group in
the Intertoto Cup, with one win and three lossses.
* In a battle of the sexes, pitting the world's best chess veterans
against each other in Prague, the women, led by Judith Polgar of
Hungary, won easily, 26.5-23.5.
* Martin Koloc returned to the lead on the European truck racing circuit
with a victory in Nuremburg, Germany.
* In the Czech rowing championships, Vaclav Chalupa defended his title,
while in eights the Czech national team fell to the "leftovers" from
Dukla Praha.
WEATHER
Last Saturday Prague had its hottest July 22 since 1775, as the
mercury climbed to 35 degrees Celsius (breaking the 50-year-old record
of 33.5 degrees). Later in the evening cloudbursts and a storm brought
the temperature down 10 to 15 degrees, offering relief to the sweaty
city-dwellers.
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Today's edition of Carolina is brought to you by Tomas Kopecny
(culture), Mirek Langer (sports), Andrea Snyder (translation), Lida
Truneckova (news), and Alex Zucker (editing and translation).
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