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Carolina (English) No 134
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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 134, Tuesday, October 25, 1994.
FROM THE EVENTS OF THE LAST WEEK (October 12 - 19)
Havel: Non-Politicians Better for Nobel Peace Prize
Czech President Vaclav Havel said that although he appreciates the
efforts of this year's winners of the Nobel Peace Prize, politicians may
not be the most deserving of the award.
"I surely appreciate the courage shown by Jicchak Rabin, Shimon
Peres and up to a certain extent even Yasser Arafat in trying to find
a peaceful solution, which if successful would really be of historical
importance," Havel said in an interview with Lidove Noviny. "On the
other hand, it could be said that the Nobel Peace Prize should be
awarded more to people like Mother Theresa or Albert Schweitzer, people
who struggle for human rights, a better world and peace as citizens and
are not practically paid for it as are politicians."
Ludek S. Stanek
Czechs React to Kohl Victory
Czech leaders generally reacted positively to the success German
Chancellor Helmut Kohl and his coalition partners in elections October
16.
Czech President Vaclav Havel congratulated Kohl on winning a fourth
term as chancellor. Havel said the quieter post-election atmosphere
would leave more time for Czech-German dialogue on mutual issues.
Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus said the election results showed German
stability. "When I see it from the perspective of the Czech Republic, it
is a positive result, because we need to go on a clear way to a distinct
market economy," Klaus said.
Defence Minister Vilem Holan, of the Christian and Democratic
Union-Czechoslovak People's Party, said that even such a "difficult
operation as uniting two parts of the country" did not endanger the
stability of Germany.
Christian-Democratic Party Chairman Ivan Pilip was pleased that
there will be no extreme rightists and only a small number of
representatives from the reformed communist Democratic Socialist party
in the new Bundestag.
The success of the Democratic Socialists was welcomed by Jaroslav
Ortman, of the Left Block, and Miroslav Grebenicek, chairman Communist
Party of Bohemia and Moravia.
Milos Zeman, chairman of the Social Democratic party, said the
razor-thin margin in the Bundestag will produce a stalemated government.
Jiri Schneider
Czech Ambassador Detained in Ukraine
The Czech Ambassador to the Ukraine, Tomas Masa, was detained Sunday
by Ukrainian policemen while traveling to a community of Czechs in the
Zaporozi region. He was allowed to continue on his way after paying
a fine levied for no specified reason.
On Tuesday, Masa said the incident arose from the personal
initiative of local police in the Dnepropetrovsk region, and that he was
more afraid for his own safety during the 20-minute action than for the
future of Czech-Ukraine relations. According to the Vienna Convention of
Diplomatic Immunity, police are not allowed to force diplomats to get
out of a car or to pay fines.
The ambassador was traveling to participate in a celebration marking
the founding of the Cechohrad settlement, and was to lay a foundation
stone for a Catholic church. The church is to should stand at the place
of a cathedral torn down in 1930s.
The ambassador took with him a message from Czech President Vaclav
Havel. In this letter, Havel said he appreciates the "courage and
steadfastness" the ethnic Czechs displayed in maintaining a spirit of
coexistence with the Czech nation regardless of obstacles. As well, he
praised the fact that there are 18 nationalities in Cechohrad living in
"friendly harmony."
Cechohrad with its 1,300 inhabitants is the largest settlement of
Czechs in the Ukraine. It was founded by Czech immigrants who came
following the visit of Palacky and Riegr, famous Czech politicians and
historians, in the second half of the 19th century. Due to their arduous
work, they were able to establish prosperous Czech villages on the Dnepr
river. Later, as volunteers, the village inhabitants were fighting in
the Czech Legions, which contributed to the birth of Czechoslovakia.
The time of Stalin's terror brought deportation to many Czech
settlers from the region to Siberia, and saw the tearing down of
churches and the forbidding of any national activities. The communities
were reborn with the death of Soviet Union.
Yet, initiatives still meet resistance from Ukrainian officials and
ignorance from Czech officials. The arrival of the Czech ambassador and
the message of the president mean the first important step towards the
improvement of Czech relations towards these ethnic Czechs.
Petr Roubal
Anniversary of First Jewish Transport Marked
A memorial to the victims of the first massive Jewish transport
during World War II was dedicated October 18 in Ostrava.
Prague Rabbi Karel Sidon said at the ceremony that Ostrava was the
site of three sad first in Czechoslovakia. It was the first town where
the synagogue was burned, the first town from which a Jewish transport
was sent, and the first Czech town occupied by the Nazi German army.
President Vaclav Havel said that although "Nazism was defeated, it
would be naive to hope that the spirit of racism and collective hate has
disappeared from this world."
The memorial was financed by Yad Vashem, the Isreali Holocaust
memorial organization. Guests at the dedication included Israel
Ambassador Moshe Yegara, Polish Ambassador Jacek Baluch, and World
Jewish Organization deputy Jack Friedman. Jiri Chvojka
Witness Laws Overturned By Constitutional Court
The Constitutional Court in Brno has ruled unconstitutional two
paragraphs in the criminal code designed to protect witnesses.
The laws, which were to take effect next March, were challenged by
44 members of Parliament. One of the laws allowed for anonymous
witnesses.
Parliament is expected to attempt to rewrite the overturned laws.
Jaroslav Ortmann, a member of parliament who opposed the laws, said
they limited the right of the accused to prove his or her innocence.
Jana Maruskova
Presidium of the Civic Democratic Party Supports Cermak
The Civic Democratic Party is standing by its vice-chairman, Petr
Cermak, who has been embroiled in scandal following revalations that he
had free use of a Mercedes from the German firm Helbig.
The loan of the car led to charges of conflict of interest against
Cermak. But party officials expressed confidence in Cermak and said the
matter was being whipped up by opposition parties in advance of local
elections. Martina Vojteckovska
Despite More Attacks on Gypsies, Interior Says No Extra Measures Needed
Mlada Fronta Dnes is reporting that despite an increase in the
number of racially-motivated attacks, the Interior Department is not
suggesting addition measures to cope with the problem.
Between January 1 and July 30 this year, police investigated 94
cases of racially-motivated attacks, according to a report submitted to
the Parliamentary Committee for Human Rights and Nationalities October
13 by Martin Fendrych, deputy minister of interior. Of the 94 incidents,
74 involved criminal acts. In all of 1993, only 55 cases were
investigated.
The ministry is not calling for addition steps or increased
penalties to curb such attacks. Officials said such cases could utilized
existing laws against defaming races or nations, promotion movements to
supress rights and freedoms, or promoting national or race hatred.
Shah Muhammad
German Driver Shot by Police Dies
A 26-year-old shot by police in an incident that apparently grew out
of a parking dispute in Pribram October 9 died four days later in
a Prague hospital.
According to the policeman's version of events, Markus Rankel
attacked him, attempting to strangle him and ripping off his epaulettes.
According to police, the officer's gun accidentally discharged when he
struck Rankel with it in the head.
But witnesses quoted in Mlada Fronta Dnes October 10 said the
policeman was controlling Randel, had knocked him to the street and was
kneeling on his back when the gun went off.
The case continues to be investigated. The officer involved in the
case has not been publicly identified.
Rankel is the second German driver shot by Czech police in the last
month.
Bavarian authorities are warning Germans at the border to avoid any
actions that could possibly be construed by Czech police as provocative.
Jakub Knezu
Charles University Honors Singer Kryl
Karel Kryl, the Czech singer, writer and poet who died this spring,
was posthumously awarded the Silver Medal of the Charles University for
the moral and spiritual development of the Czech nation.
University Rector Karel Maly presented the prize to Kryl's widow,
Marie Magdalena Krylova, October 19 in Prague's Carolinum.
The proposal to give the award to Kryl originated with the Student
Chamber of the University Academic Senate.
Tomas Kopecny
FROM SLOVAKIA
Negotiations On Government Continue
It's more clear in Slovakia who will be outside the governing
coalition than who will be in it.
Jan Carnogursky, chairman of the Christian Democratic Movement,
said negotiations with the Movement For a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS)
have failed to produce agreement on issues the Christian Democrats view
as essential for cooperation in coalition.
He said the most important issues are the the attitude towards
President Michal Kovac and the HZDS's attempt to challenge the election
results of Prime Minister Jozef Moravcik's Democratic Union.
This failure comes on top of an announcement from Democratic Left
Party Chairman Peter Weiss that his party would not participate in
a coalition.
A group of three Hungarian parties is unacceptable to prime
minister-designate Vladimir Meciar, as is the Democratic Union, composed
of former HZDS deputies.
There are reports of an agreement between HZDS and the Slovak
National Party and the Worker's Party. In an interview with the
weekly Domino Efekt, Workers Party Chairman Klement Kolnik said that
a HZDS-SNP coalition would get his party's quiet support, giving Meciar
support of 85 out of 150 members of parliament. Kolnik also said that
the union could not go into the government directly, because such thing
would be political suicide. Karolina Polakova
Leadership of Democratic Left Party Doesn't Resign
The leadership of the Democratic Left Party, with Peter Weiss, will
not resign despite disappointing results in the Slovak elections.
The leadership received firm support at a party conference, with the
party council refusing to even take a vote on the matter.
There had been talk about a change in leadership after Common
Choice, a coalition with the Democratic Left as the main partner, got
only 10.4 percent of the vote, half of what was anticipated.
The decision will affect negotations on forming a new Slovak
goverment. The Democratic Left leadership has said it will not cooperate
with the Movement for Democratic Slovakia, which won the elections, in
forming a government. Lukas Zentel
CULTURE
New Sverak Film Debuts
A new movie from director Jan Sverak aims to be the Czech equivalent
of the American "road movie."
The movie stars Jakub Spalek, Radek Pastrnak and Anna Geislerova.
Art critic Martin Dostal collaborated on the script with Sverak. F. A.
Brabec was the cinematographer.
Sverak, the son of popular actor Zdenek Sverak, is best known for
his film Obecna skola, which received an Academy Award nomination in
1991. Unlike Sverak's last movie, Akumulator I, which cost nearly forty
million crowns -- one of the most expensive Czech movies -- production
of Jizda cost only one million. Jindrich Jirasek
Writer's Conference Examines Violence and Brutality
The Writers' Club in the Czech Republic called for restraints on
the images children receive at a conference on Criminality and
Literature October 14.
Writer Ludvik Vaculik, an organizer of the conference, was quoted by
Mlada Fronta Dnes saying he wants to limit brutality on television.
"The children are forced to decide what is the brutal reality and
what is monstrous fantasy," he said. "Even if it is not clear where is
the border between normal and perversed reality."
Some artists signed a petition to parliament to "regulate the
public performance of brutality on TV and in cinemas."
Andrea Rihova
ECONOMICS
Largest Central Europe Computer Trade Fair Opens in Brno
The Invex Computer '94 international trade fair opened October 19
in Brno. The fair focuses on computer systems and information
technologies.
It is the largest and most prestigious activity of its kind in
Eastern and Central Europe. More than 600 participants from 12 countries
all over the world is involved in the fair. Invex Computer has larger
exhibition area than the well-known Ifabo fair in Vienna.
Some new computer systems had their world debut at the fair. Bill
Gates, chairman of Microsoft, spoke to the fair October 20 on his views
of the future of information channels in the world.
The Invex fair ends October 22. Martin Kupka
Foreign Currency Reserves Fall
Foreign currency reserves shrunk from 8.1 to 7.8 billion dollars
during September, according to Czech National Bank spokesman Ondrej
Kvacek.
In April and May reserves stagnated, but the first fall occurred
only last month.
Reduction of reserves in the Central Bank accounted for two-thirds of
the fall but reserves also declined in commercial banks.
In September, the exchange rate of the dollar to the crown dropped
below 28 crowns, a two-year low. Petr Hosek
Shares Decline on the Stock Exchange
Declining share prices and trade volume has been seen on the Czech
Stock Exchange since the beginning of September.
The investment funds suffered the greatest loss, especially Harvard
Investment Fund. Share for Czech Energy Enterprises (CEZ) and the
powerplant at Opatovice also dropped.
A slightly positive change in trading has been registered at the
beginning of this week. Petr Hosek
10,000 Employees Strike at Skoda Mlada Boleslav
An hour-long strike hit five factories of the joint-stock company
Skoda-Volkswagen October 17 over disagreements about layoffs, factory
organization and quantity of production.
Richard Falbr, chairman of Czech and Moravian Labor Union, promised
to support the union workers, and called the strike a success.
But Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus, saying that the Czech Republic
doesn't have a corporatist structure, said the union shouldn't concern
itself with long-term management issues.
From Lidove noviny Michal Vynohradnyk
SPORT
Jihlava and Litvinov Lead Ice Hockey Extraleague
After a great start that put Olomouc atop the hockey Extraleague,
the team has fallen and been replaced by Litvinov and then Jihlava.
At the bottom of standings are the finalists from the last federal
play-offs: Vitkovice a Sparta Prague.
New coaches in the league are running teams in Kladno, where Jaromir
Jagr, Sr., father of the famous Pittsburgh Penguin, has taken over, and
Sparta Praha, where long-time coaches Frantisek Vyborny a Stanislav
Berger were replaced by Pavel Wohl and Josef Horesovsky. In 1990, Berger
took Sparta to the championship.
9th round: Vitkovice - Sparta Prague 2:1, Olomouc - Ceske Budejovice
1:3, Vsetin - Zlin 2:6, Pardubice - Litvinov 2:1, Slavia Prague
- Jihlava 2:6, Kladno - Plzen 4:4
10th round: Sparta Prague - Kladno 3:6, Ceske Budejovice - Plzen
2:1, Jihlava - Vitkovice 3:2, Litvinov - Slavia Prague 3:0, Zlin
- Vitkovice 3:2, Olomouc - Pardubice 1:3
11th round: Slavia Prague - Olomouc 1:3, Pardubice - Ceske
Budejovice 2:4, Plzen - Sparta Prague 2:0, Vitkovice - Jihlava 3:7,
Vsetin - Litvinov 5:2, Kladno - Zlin 5:4.
Tomas Kopecny
Tenth Round of Football League
Viktoria Zizkov, which defeated Union Cheb 3:2 at its home stadium,
is still in first place. It has two points over Slavia Prague, which
managed only a draw at the stadium of Sigma Olomouc.
Thanks to a 5:0 victory in Benesov, Slovan Liberec has moved into
third place. Josef Obajdin scored four goals, so he moved to the top of
the scorers table.
His league premiere finished well for Jurgen Sundermann, the new
coach of Sparta Prague. His team beat Zlin 3:0 to move into fourth
place.
At the bottom of the standings are Petra Drnovice, in spite of
a 1:0 win over Plzen, and Hradec Kralove, which lost 0:4 to Ceske
Budejovice.
Other results: Jablonec - Brno 1:0, Ostrava - Bohemians 0:0
Rudolf Cernik
Success of Slovak Football
Slovak football players drew with Israel on the way to the Euro 96.
In Tel Aviv, they led 2:0 after the first 15 minutes on goals from
Stefan Rusnak and Lubomir Moravcik. But Israel caught up. Slovakia is
fourth in Group A after the first two rounds.
Slovan Bratislava continues its successful campaign in the UEFA Cup.
It defeated powerful Borussia Dortmund 2:1 in the first match of the
second round.
Slovan leads the Slovak league, as well. It has six points over
second-place Banska Bystrica. Miroslav Langer
American Wins ATP Contest in Czech Republic
MaliVai Washington of the United States won the IPB Czech Indoor
tourney last week in Ostrava-Vitkovice. He defeated France's Arnaud
Boetsch two sets to one. The best Czech showing in the singles came from
Martin Damm, who fell in the semifinals to Washington.
However, the Czech pair of Damm and Karel Novacek won the doubles
championships.
In Ostrava, players of the Czech Davis Cup team expressed their
doubt in coach Vladimir Zednik, and recommended he be replaced with
Vladislav Savrda.
Tomas Kopecny
WEATHER
Smog days in the northern part of Bohemia are over
Residents of northern Bohemia suffering from increased
concentrations of noxious substances in the air can finally breath
easier. A cold front arrived at the beginning of the week, dispersing
pollution and allowing a smog warning to be cancelled.
The smog situation lasted a week. On October 11, sulpher dioxide
concentrations passed the 400 micrograms per cubic meter level, setting
off preliminary regulations. The cool air of this week cleared northern
Bohemia considerably. While on Sunday, October 16, the SO2 concentration
rate reached 898 micrograms per cubic meter, on Monday, October 17, it
was only 17 micrograms. Vera Vitkova
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Dear readers,
Students in the first year of journalism took over production of
Carolina at the beginning of October.
We transmit every Friday, with the exception of October 28,
a holiday marking the independence of Czechoslovakia in 1918.
Back editions of Carolina, for which some of you are writing, are
available at the address: gopher.cuni.cz.
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