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Carolina (English) No 172
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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 172, Friday, September 22, 1995.
EVENTS FOR SEPT. 6-20, 1995
Klaus and Meciar Meet for First Time in Over Two Years
Czech Premier Vaclav Klaus met with his Slovak counterpart,
Vladimir Meciar, on Monday, Sept. 11, in Brno. It was their first
official meeting since February 1993, and was expected to help relieve
tension between the two countries.
Most recently, Slovakia abolished tariffs and import surcharges on
small cars, a move that caused unease in the Czech Republic (for more,
see Carolina no. 171).
The two premiers agreed the Czech-Slovak customs union was useful
for both sides, and also expressed support for last year's agreement
between the two states' ministries of culture to return the Bojnice
to Slovakia.
U.S. Secretary of Defense on Visit to Czech Republic
During his visit to Prague this week U.S. Secretary of Defense
William Perry said the Czech Republic had made more progress than any
other country in Central and Eastern Europe in laying the foundations
for entering NATO.
Perry and Czech Defense Minister Vilem Holan signed a pact for the
protection of confidential military information. This agreement allows
the Czech army to obtain basic information about American weapons, with
a view to eventually purchasing them. According to Perry, the Czechs are
interested in the U.S. F-16 and F-18 fighter planes.
The pact binds the Czechs not to pass any technology on to third
parties or to misuse it, as well as to redraft their law on the
protection of confidential information to conform to NATO standards.
Perry met also with President Havel and Prime Minister Klaus.
Lizner Case Finally Goes to Court
After nearly a year, Jaroslav Lizner, the former head of the Center
for Coupon Privatization and the Securities Center, is standing trial
for the biggest financial scandal since November 1989.
The 45-year-old Lizner is being charged with taking bribes, after
the Corruption and Economic Crimes Agency arrested him on Oct. 31,
1994, at the Asia restaurant with a suitcase containing 8,334,500 crowns
in cash (see Carolina nos. 136 and 137).
On Wednesday Prague 7 District Court called a recess until the end
of September. If convicted, Lizner faces up to three years behind bars.
ODA Did Not Violate Law With Campaign Loans
The case of the Civic Democratic Alliance's controversial 52
million crown debt came to a close Sept. 13, as investigators announced
that no law had been violated and stopped the prosecution of Josef
Reichman, former head of the ODA secretariat (see Carolina nos. 148, 152
and 156).
Also cleared were Adolf Klapka, owner of Marklap, and the
company's lawyer Michal Macek, both of whom had originally been charged
with illegally increasing the company's assets in order to guarantee the
ODA's debt to the Bank of Credit and Industry.
Czechs Unhappy With the Way They Treat Each Other
A recent survey found that 90 percent of Czechs feel the way people
treat each other has not improved since 1989, with 95 percent of those
polled saying this was a serious problem.
In an August survey of 899 Czechs over the age of 15, the Institute
for Public Opinion Research found the following to be the chief
negative aspects of post-revolution society: moral decline (93 percent),
bribery (91 percent), privatization frauds (89 percent), the possibility
of losing one's job (87 percent), and a lower standard of living (85
percent).
On the other hand, Czechs saw the following changes as positive:
the opportunity to travel (94 percent), a greater selection of goods
(91 percent), the opportunity to put one's talents to use (69 percent),
increased foreign investment (67 percent), and progress in privatization
(62 percent).
NEWS IN BRIEF
* Prime ministers from member-states of the Central European Free Trade
Agreement (CEFTA) agreed Sept. 11 in Brno to further liberalize trade
and to admit Slovenia, Bulgaria, Romania and the Baltic states to the
organization in the near future. (Currently CEFTA groups the Czech
Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary.)
* Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty officially launched operations from
their new facilities in Prague.
* The Civic Democratic Party (ODS) dissolved its chapter in Mikulov,
southern Moravia, last Saturday, for entering into a coalition agreement
with the Communists in the town assembly. This was the first time ODS
had shut down one of its local organizations for political reasons.
* Police arrested Republican Party deputy Jan Vlk Tuesday in Znojmo,
southern Moravia, but released him after he refused to answer any
questions. Vlk is suspected of ordering the printing of inflammatory
fliers claiming a secret agreement was made between the Czech and German
governments on the return of property to Sudeten Germans. Czech
Parliament stripped him of immunity in July (see Carolina no. 168).
* Twenty-year-old Renata Hornofova took third place in the 1995 Miss
International beauty pageant in Tokyo.
FROM SLOVAKIA
Slovak Government Calls for President Kovac to Step Down
Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar and his ministers called on
President Michal Kovac to resign Tuesday, saying further cooperation was
impossible and accusing him of creating fears in the mind of the public
that the country was in jeopardy.
The Slovak government's appeal came following President Kovac's
refusal to attend a special Cabinet session where he was to explain some
of his recent statements targeting the government and the parties of the
government coalition.
(In an interview published Saturday in the Slovak daily Narodna
Obroda, for instance, Kovac said: "Instead of looking for the bank
accounts of my kidnapped son, government newspapers ought to be
interested in how many members of the premier's Cabinet and the other
people around him have (foreign) accounts.")
On Wednesday Kovac announced that he would remain in the post to
which he was democratically elected, and appealed to the government to
renew dialogue.
Kovac was nominated for president by Meciar's Movement for
a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS). The currrent tension between the head of
state and the government began in spring 1994, when Kovac's fierce
criticism tumbled Meciar's Cabinet. HZDS triumphed again, however, in
early elections in the fall, and Meciar returned to the premier's post
for the third time.
Under the Slovak Constitution, only parliament can recall the
president. The current government coalition occupies 82 of Slovak
Parliament's 150 seats, eight shy of the three-fifths majority it needs
for a recall.
Christian Democrat Leader Assaulted in Bratislava
Frantisek Miklosko, vice chair of the opposition Christian
Democratic Movement (KDH) and a deputy in Slovak Parliament, was
attacked in front of his apartment building in Bratislava last Tuesday
by three as yet unidentified men.
In a meeting with journalists the next day Miklosko said: "I
believe the attack was politically motivated and that it is connected
with my Thursday, Sept. 7, statement in (Parliament), when I announced
that KDH would insist on a thorough investigation of Kovac junior's
abduction abroad."
BUSINESS/ECONOMICS
Czech Gov't Approves 1996 Budget Proposal
The Czech government approved a proposal for a balanced budget in
1996 at the regular Cabinet session on Wednesday.
The proposal assumes an average increase in expenditures of 14.4
percent over this year (mainly for police, pensions, agriculture,
housing and the environment), with inflation of no more than 10 percent
and a 4 percent unemployment rate.
Among those who will have to make do with fewer funds in 1996 are
Parliament, the President's Office and several ministries.
Both revenues and expenditures alike are expected to amount to
497.6 billion crowns.
Exchange Rates at the Czech National Bank (valid from Sept. 21)
Checks Cash
country buy sell middle buy sell
Great Britain 1 GPB 41,830 42,250 42,040 40,62 43,46
France 1 FRF 5,299 5,353 5,326 5,13 5,53
Italy 1000 ITL 16,770 16,938 16,854 16,08 17,62
Japan 100 JPY 26,080 26,342 26,211 24,91 27,51
Canada 1 CAD 19,874 20,074 19,974 19,08 20,86
Austriao 1 ATS 2,591 2,617 2,604 2,54 2,66
Germany 1 DEM 18,226 18,406 18,314 17,85 18,77
Switzerland 1 CHF 22,503 22,729 22,616 22,12 23,12
USA 1 USD 27,037 27,309 27,173 26,47 27,87
Slovakia 1 XCU -- -- 34,314 --
CULTURE
Frantisek Nepil Dies
Writer Frantisek Nepil died suddenly on Sept. 8 at the age of 66.
Readers of all ages remember the author for his kind humor. Adults may
have read "Knezin prsten" ("The Priestess' Ring") or "Dobre a jeste
lepsi rano" ("A Good and Even Better Morning"), while children may be
familiar with his "Dum u tri kotatek" ("House at the Three Kittens")
from the TV program "Vecernicek," with voices done by Nepil himself.
Prague Gets a Peek at Israeli Art
As part of a cultural exchange with the capital of Israel, Prague
played host to the Days of Jerusalem Culture Sept. 14-18.
Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert called the event an important step in
the continuation of warm relations between the two cities. Prague Mayor
Jan Koukal added that another cultural exchange is in the planning
stages. The first such event, the Prague Culture Week, took place last
year in Jerusalem.
Thanks to the exchange, Prague music lovers had the chance to
witness one of the world's best piano duos, Bracha Eden and Alexander
Tamir, as well as the Kaprizma dance company, and Jerusalem Consort, an
ensemble that interprets Baroque music using period instruments. The
public was also treated to the sounds of the Keshet Baroque Orchestra,
the jazz trio Trick Question, and the Jerusalem Folklore Ensemble.
Other noteworthy events included an exhibit of graphics by
Jerusalem print studios and films by leading Israeli directors. The
event culminated with a stunning performance of "Casablanca,"
incorporating scenic dance, musical collage, poetry and film.
WEATHER
"Prague is the paradise of Bohemia," according to one popular old
Czech song. But if this is true, then last week proves that even in
paradise it rains sometimes, as despite fairly high temperatures (18 to
22 degrees Celsius) it has been overcast, gloomy and wet in the Czech
capital.
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This edition of Carolina has been brought to you by Martina Krizkova and
Lida Truneckova (reporting and writing), and Andrea Snyder and Alex
Zucker (translating and editing).
By the way, says Alex, this may be my last Carolina. After five
years I'm planning to leave Prague in mid-October and return to New York
City, where I will continue to translate but will probably support
myself free-lance editing. Anybody I know out there who wants to get in
touch with me (no obscene letters or phone calls, please) can do so c/o
Mark Burns, 214 East 24th St., Apt. 2B, New York, NY 10010; tel. (212)
684-1540.
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The Carolina staff would like to apologize to its loyal readers for the
decreased frequency and reduced coverage of its summer editions, but
starting in October we will return to our weekly schedule at full size.
The first edition of the 1995-96 school year will appear on your
monitors Oct. 6 with an all-new editorial staff.
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