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Carolina (English) No 150
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STUDENT'S E-MAIL NEWS FROM CZECHOSLOVAKIA
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
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
C A R O L I N A No 150, Friday, March 10, 1995.
EVENTS FOR THE WEEK OF MARCH 1-8
Will Relocated Czechs Get Citizenship More Easily?
Foreign Minister Josef Zieleniec has proposed that it be easier for
former Czech or Czechoslovak citizens to obtain or regain Czech
citizenship than for the subjects of other states.
Independently of this, Josef Pavela, chairman of parliament's
Petition Committee, announced that his committee intends to submit
a revision of the law on acquiring and forfeiting citizenship.
Zieleniec is currently on a tour of the Central Asian republics of
the Commonwealth of Independent States, where one of his stops will be
the Kazakh village of Borodinovka, which is home to a Czech minority.
Prior to his departure, the foreign minister told Czech Television
that he saw a need to create special, less rigorous conditions for
obtaining Czech citizenship for those who have had it previously. He
mentioned off-hand that this could also apply to those currently living
in Germany, a remark that the press here interpreted as an effort to
restart the stalled dialogue between Czechs and Germans.
The proposed amendment of the citizenship law from Pavela's
committee aims among other things to complete the repatriation of some
1,800 Czechs who were resettled to the Czech Republic from the
radioactively contaminated areas near Chernobyl in the years 1991 to
1993 at the cost of the Czech government. This amendment would solve the
problem by eliminating the requirement that they must permanently reside
in the country for five years. Jiri Schneider/Jiri Chvojka
Slovak President Visiting Czech Republic
Slovak President Michal Kovac arrived on Wednesday for a working
visit to Prague and met with his Czech counterpart, Vaclav Havel. The
two presidents agreed that it was necessary to build relations between
the Czech Republic and Slovakia on a higher level. They also discussed
the upcoming 50th anniversary of the end of World War II.
President Havel said he was alarmed at the evolution of Slovak
democracy, adding that he believed it was just a matter of overcoming
"growing pains." President Kovac, for his part, said he saw enough
democratic elements in both the coalition and the opposition for "common
sense to triumph." From "Rude pravo" by Mirek Langer/ML
South Korean President Visits Czech Republic Officially
South Korean President Kim Jong-Sam paid a two-day visit to the
Czech Republic last weekend, accompanied by his country's ministers of
foreign affairs, foreign trade and industry, and science and technology,
as well as 60 South Korean businesspeople.
Top officials of the two countries discussed international economic
and political cooperation, and the Czech Republic promised its support
for South Korea's application for a non-permanent seat on the United
Nations Security Council. Lukas Zentel/Jiri Chvojka
Kalvoda Reelected Head of Civic Democratic Alliance
The main business at last weekend's national congress of the Civic
Democratic Alliance (ODA) was the election of new leadership and
discussion of the party's economic platform.
Jan Kalvoda, the current ODA chairman and deputy premier for
legislation in the government, was reelected head of ODA, receiving 174
votes out of 231, after Vladimir Dlouhy (minister of industry and
trade), Libor Kudlacek and Jiri Skalicky (minister of finance) withdrew
their candidacies.
Both Dlouhy and Pavel Bratinka were confirmed in their positions as
party vice chairmen, while Skalicky was voted into the position for the
first time, and Daniel Kroupa and Ivan Masek were voted out.
In their opening speeches none of the ODA leaders referred to the
recent affairs involving the party - Kalvoda's accusations against the
Czech secret service (BIS) and debts from the last election campaign.
During later discussion, however, ODA delegates were assured that the
party was prepared to repay its debt of 52 million Kc.
The congress also adopted a new economic program proposed by
Dlouhy, singling out changes in the tax system, the deregulation of
rents, and the stimulation of the housing and real estate market as the
keys to further economic growth in the Czech Republic.
Also mentioned in the program is the role of trade unions, which
ODA sees as mainly in the making and monitoring of collective agreements
between employees and their employers, not in political activity.
At many points in the congress Kalvoda and Dlouhy, the two main
figures in ODA, clashed in their views, primarily concerning the
question of cooperation with the Civic Democratic Party (ODS), the
leading party in the government coalition. While Dlouhy would like to
see the two parties work more closely with one another, Kalvoda is in
favor of formalizing the relationship in the form of a coalition pact,
even if it causes conflicts.
From "Mlada fronta Dnes" by Michal Vynohradnyk/Jiri Chvojka
First Official Meeting of Prime Minister Klaus and Cardinal Vlk
Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus and Archbishop of Prague Miloslav Vlk
met Monday, March 6, at the Czech Government Office for talks that
ranged from the draft of a law on the relationship between Church and
State to the Church's role in public affairs, the Church in the army and
prisons, and the question of church weddings.
Klaus told journalists that they did not discuss his party's last
proposal on the restitution of Church property, which was firmly
rejected last week by the other members of the government coalition. ODS
proposed that the Church be given back only property that legally
belongs to it as opposed to property it lost under valid laws.
According to Klaus, he and Vlk talked mainly about the proposed law
on the Church-State relationship. In spite of their different views of
the details, said Klaus, "It is necessary to find a law that is
acceptable to everyone and that allows a normal, rational relationship
between the Church and the State." He added that the government would
have the legislation ready by the end of its term at the latest.
Vlk, for his part, said it was possible to consider the option of
financing the Church through bonds, as suggested at a February meeting
of ministers, members of Parliament and legals experts, hosted by Klaus.
From "Rude pravo" and "Denni Telegraf" by Andrea Rihova/Jiri Chvojka
First Czechoslovak President Born 145 Years Ago
On March 7, President Vaclav Havel laid a wreath on the grave of
Czechoslovakia's first president, Tomas Garrigue Masaryk. Both of
Masaryk's grandsons took part in the ceremony held in Lany, the
presidential country home, on what would have been his 145th birthday.
"President Liberator," as Masaryk was frequently called, is for
many a symbol of the independent Czechoslovak state, humanity and
democracy. He first became active in politics at 37, when he became
a Czech representative to the Imperial Advisory Council of the Habsburg
Empire and to the Czech Provincial Council. At the begining of World War
I, he was forced into emigration and helped organize Czechoslovak
legions in France, Russia and Italy.
In exile in America, he attempted to convince the allied
governments of the importance of an independent Czechoslovak state. In
May 1918, he initiated and signed the Pittsburgh Agreement in the United
States, in which representatives of Czech and Slovak regional
organizations committed themselves to one country formed of two nations,
the Czechs and the Slovaks.
The Washington Declaration, published Oct. 18 of that year by the
Czechoslovak government in power at that time, declared an independent
Czechoslovakia. Masaryk returned to the new republic in December 1918 as
president and remained at the head of the country for 17 years. Forced
into abdication by his worsening physical condition, he died in Lany,
where he is now buried.
President Havel, who is occasionally compared to Masaryk in his
emphasis on morality and humanism, each year attends the commemoration
of Masaryk's birthday in Lany. Jana Maruskova/Andrea Snyder
Sponsor of "Klaus Dinner" to Build Airport Check-in at Ruzyne
The French firm Bouyques won, without going through the bidding
process, the contract to build a new check-in area at the international
Ruzyne airport in Prague.
In late November 1994, the French company sponsored a dinner for
Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus' Civic Democratic Party (ODS) at the Prague
palace, Zofin. The other sponsor of the event, the Investment and Postal
Bank, will be loaning the Czech Airport Administration (CSL) nearly 4
billion Kc for the construction of the terminal. Both of these sponsors
contributed at least 250,000 Kc to the ODS account.
Both Transportation Minister Jan Strasky and ODS spokesperson Jana
Petrova denied any connection between the building of the airport
terminal and the sponsorship.
Under the direction of the Ministry of Transportation, CSL signed
the contract with Bouyques at the end of last year, when the law on
public contracts had not yet gone into effect. From January 1995, a new
law went into effect, stating that contracts could only be made on the
basis of a public bidding process.
The airport project became a state contract when the government
decided the state would be the sole owner of the airport terminal.
The Bouyques company entered the competition for the financing,
operation and completion of the construction at the Ruzyne airport more
than three years ago, when after undergoing a selection process the
government offered it to Armbro, a Canadian company. Armbro then joined
a consortium with Bouyques and three other foreign firms. After the
consortium encountered financial difficulties, the Ministry of
Transportation ended its partnership with the consortium and later
entered into negotiations with Bouyques alone.
According to the head of CSL's international relations department,
Petr Rychetsky, the contract was awarded to Bouyques mainly due to the
fact that the French firm had already invested roughly 85 million Kc in
the project as part of the consortium. He also said that it would have
been too expensive for CSL to compensate all the other members of the
former consortium and that that would be taken care of by Bouyques.
British Aerospace will supervise the construction, CSL will be the
investor and user, while other Czech companies will be brought in as
subcontractors following a selection process.
Experts say the project could bring a profit of more than 1 billion
Kc. Tereza Hadravova/Andrea Snyder
FROM SLOVAKIA
Slovak Journalists Protest, 11 Dailies with Blank Front Page
This Monday, March 6, 11 Slovak dailies came out with the same
layout on their front page: blank except for the word "Disturbed." The
reason for this was fear on the part of journalists concerning Prime
Minister Vladimir Meciar's planned policies towards the media.
These policies include a higher tax on newspapers, along with
a reduction in the allowed level of foreign investment in the Slovak
press and in the level of advertisement, all of which would increase the
cost of newspapers to readers. Both the Slovak Union of Journalists and
the Presidium of the Association of Periodical Publishers also joined
the ranks of the "Disturbed."
At Monday's session of Slovak Parliament Katarina Tothova, vice
chairwoman of the Parliament, spoke against the "Disturbed" movement,
saying that the government's plans would not restrict the press and that
it did not intend to raise the tax.
Jan Carnogursky, leader of the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH),
said that the members of the press had a right to be disturbed because
Meciar himself had mentioned raising the tax in a television appearance.
Parliamentarians from the parties of the government coalition
signed a declaration "Disturbed by the Disturbed," which they submitted
to the legislature also. Mirek Langer/Katerina Rus
Slovak Secret Service in Hands of Government Coalition?
Slovak Parliament last week adopted an amendment to the current law
on the Slovak Information Service (SIS), transferring responsibility for
appointing the agency's director from the president's office to the
government (Cabinet), which will then merely approve the proposal of the
prime minister.
Members of the opposition criticized the amendment for accumulating
too much power in the hands of the government and the prime minister,
pointing out the activities of the Communist-era agency State Security
(StB), which was entirely controlled by the Communist Party.
The opposition deputies were unable to get representation on the
parliamentary body for oversight of the SIS. Mirek Langer/K. Rus
ECONOMICS/BUSINESS
Last Year Saw Increase in Gross National Product
The Czech Republic's gross national product (GNP) rose 2.7 percent
in 1994 over the previous year, according to the Czech Bureau of
Statistics. The GNP is calculated in constant prices, without taking
inflation into account.
The GNP was 2.1 percent higher over the first nine months of last
year and 4.7 percent higher for the last quarter. The volume of the 1994
GNP is estimated at 1,035.5 billion Kc, 14.2 percent higher than 1993.
In 1993 the Czech GNP fell about 1 percent, in 1992 more than 6
percent, and in 1991 it even dropped 14 percent.
Two major branches of the economy - industry and construction - had
greater production in 1994, accounting for much of the increase in GNP,
and they are expected to continue growing in 1995.
The Statistics Bureau also reported that in 1989 prices the
year-to-year increase for industrial production was 2.3 percent,
a figure that is not distorted by inflation. Using the same method,
construction showed a rise of roughly 7.5 percent.
Karolina Polakova/J. Chvojka
Entrepreneurs Call for Employment Papers
The Association of Entrepreneurs is calling for the reintroduction
of employment booklets, last used under the "First Republic," as the
first 20 years of the Czechoslovak state (1918-38) are referred to.
Each individual would be required to show this booklet when
applying for a new job, informing potential employers about the
education, job experience and work morale of the applicant. Though
disturbing for some Czechs, the entrepreneurs' proposal has already won
the backing of the trade unions leader, Richard Falbr.
The most common fear voiced by those opposed to the papers is that
the information in them may make it difficult for some to find new work.
Rudolf Baranek, president of the Association of Entrepreneurs, responded
to the fears, saying: "This doesn't mean the booklet should be a whip to
use on employees. Employers should not be able to write just anything,
and employees should have the chance to appeal their references in a
speedy and open process if they don't agree with the evaluation."
The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs has yet to receive any
official information about the Association's proposal, but Baranek's
group makes no secret of the fact that it wants the booklets introduced
as soon as possible. According to Baranek, the proposal already has
enough support from members of Parliament to be adopted.
Petr Hosek/Vera Vitkova
CULTURE
Czech Film Awards for 1994
Last Friday Prague's Lucerna Hall played host to the second annual
Czech Lion awards, analogous to the Oscar in the United States.
This year's ceremony gave out awards in 12 categories. The most
nominations went to "Akumulator 1" and "Jizda" ("The Ride"), both by
young director Jan Sverak. But "Diky za kazde nove rano" ("Thanks for
Each New Morning") picked up the most trophies, winning best direction
(Milan Steindler), best screenplay (Halina Pawlovska), and best actress
(Ivana Chylkova), as well as being named Film of the Year for 1994.
"Lekce Faust" ("The Faust Lesson") was the next most successful
film, directed by animator Jan Svankmajer, who received a Czech Lion for
lifelong contribution to Czech film. "Faust" won awards for best actor
(Petr Cepek, in memoriam), best set design (Jan and Eva Svankmajer), and
best sound (Ivo Spajl).
Sverak's attempt at a Czech road movie, "Jizda," took the prize for
best photography (Frantisek Brabec) and best soundtrack (Radek Pastrnak,
who also acted in the film, and his group Buty). "Akumulator" attracted
nine nominations, but despite being the most heavily attended Czech film
of 1994 it only brought in one Lion, for best editing (Alois Fisarik).
Jiri Labus won the category of best supporting actor for his role
of the uncle in the film adaptation of Franz Kafka's "Amerika," and Jana
Preissova took best supporting actress as a nun in the historical drama
"Rad" ("The Order").
The Plush Lion, given out to the worst film of the year, went to
"Jeste vetsi blbec nez jsme doufali" ("An Even Bigger Idiot Than We'd
Hoped"), directed by Vit Olmer with a screenplay by actor Ludek Sobota.
"Forrest Gump" with Tom Hanks took the prize for best foreign film.
For "Carolina" direct from Lucerna by Tomas Kopecny/Martina Vojtechovska
Dennis Hopper in Prague for Premiere of "Easy Rider"
American actor and director Dennis Hopper arrived in Prague on
Wednesday to take part in the official Czech premiere of his 1969 rebel
classic "Easy Rider" the next day. Though the film has shown in Czech
movie theaters for more than 20 years, it was never before officially
distributed in this country.
Hopper, who also takes photos and paints, both directed and acted
in the film, which also features Peter Fonda and Jack Nicholson. Also on
Thursday he attended the opening of an exhibit of his photographs from
the years 1961-69. Jindrich Jirasek/Alex Zucker
SPORTS
Prague's Bohemians Surprisingly Triumph over Viktoria Zizkov
The match between Viktoria Zizkov, who are vying for the title of
the Premiere League, and Bohemians Praha, who are on the verge of
falling out of the top league, ended with a bang.
While Viktoria fought back from behind to equal the score twice
(from 0:2 to 2:2 and from 2:3 to 3:3), the last word belonged to the
Bohemians - in a dramatic battle with three players expelled (2:1), they
walked away with a well deserved victory, 4:3.
Viktoria have yet to pick up a point in the spring season and have
dropped to third place behind Prague's "S" duo (Sparta, Slavia). Slavia
Praha consolidated their top ranking with a narrow victory over Zlin,
putting them seven points ahead of second-place Sparta Praha, who came
home from Benesov with three points.
Round 17 Results: Viktoria Zizkov-Bohemians Praha 3:4, Svarc
Benesov-Sparta Praha 0:1, Slavia Praha-Svit Zlin 1:0, Petra Drnovice-FK
Jablonec 2:1, Sigma Olomouc-SK Ceske Budejovice 1:1, Union Cheb-Hradec
Kralove 1:3, Viktoria Plzen-Banik Ostrava 0:1, Slovan Liberec-Boby Brno
2:1.
A shocking event took place in the aftermath of the match between
Benesov and Sparta Praha. Sparta's fans, after destroying billboards and
throwing stones on the field during the match, swarmed onto the pitch
and attacked the home team's goalie, Martin Parizek. Meanwhile the
police and organizers sat back doing nothing. After a knock-out punch
from one of the fans, Parizek lost consciousness and was taken to the
hospital with a concussion.
Violence in Czech soccer stadiums is on the rise. In the last round
some of Brno's fans got carried away by anger at their side's loss to
Slavia Praha and destroyed nearly half a million crowns' worth of
equipment in and around the stadium.
Rudolf Cernik/Martina Vojtechovska
Slavia Praha and Litvinov Advance to Ice Hockey Playoffs
The last round of the Extra-league determined which teams would
advance to compete for this year's title. While Slavia Praha and
Litvinov each needed just one point to advance, both Sparta Praha and
Vitkovice needed a victory but failed to win by a large enough margin.
Round 44 Results: Litvinov-Vsetin 5:3, Sparta Praha-Plzen 3:2,
Olomouc-Slavia Praha 2:3, Jihlava-Vitkovice 2:4, Zlin-Kladno 6:5, Ceske
Budejovice-Pardubice 0:3.
Extra-league standings after the regular season:
1. Vsetin 54 7. Slavia Praha 43
2. Kladno 54 8. Litvinov 42
3. Olomouc 48 9. Sparta Praha 41
4. Zlin 48 10. Vitkovice 41
5. Plzen 46 11. Pardubice 37
6. Ceske Budejovice 46 12. Jihlava 28
The top-ranked eight teams now advance to the playoffs, while the
remaining four teams play to determine the final standings.
First Round Results from Extra-league Playoffs
The opening round of the playoffs began with the following
matchups: Vsetin-Litvinov, Kladno-Slavia Praha, Olomouc-Ceske Budejovice
and Zlin-Plzen.
Last year's champion Olomouc was the biggest surprise, as they lost
10-2 to Ceske Budejovice, who have never before gone further than the
first round of playoffs. This was also the first time this year that
a team had scored 10 goals in a single match.
1st Round Playoff Results: Vsetin-Litvinov 3:0, 4:2; Kladno-Slavia
Praha 7:4, 4:2; Olomouc-Ceske Budejovice 2:5, 2:10; Zlin-Plzen 2:1,
3:1. Return matches will be played in Litvinov, Prague, Ceske Budejovice
and Plzen.
Group of ninth-12th places: Sparta Praha-Jihlava 4:5,
Vitkovice-Pardubice 2:5. Tomas Kopecny/Mirek Langer
Francova Ties "Unbeatable" Record of Pospisil Brothers
Ski-bobber Irena Francova took the 20th world championship last
week in Destne, equalling the Czech record of 20 titles held by Jan and
Jindrich Pospisil in bicycle polo. Said Francova: "I hope the 20th title
is not my last." Mirek Langer/ML
WEATHER
Last week saw cloudy to overcast skies with occasional rain, and
snow in the mountains. Daytime temperatures ranged from 4 to 10 degrees
Celsius, at night from -3 to -2.
Record temperatures for March 8: the high was 18.1 degrees in
1864, the low -23 in 1785. The long-term average for this date is 2.9.
Muhammad Shah/Alex Zucker
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