Copy Link
Add to Bookmark
Report
Carolina (English) No 188
CCCCC AA RRRRR OOOO LL II NN N AA
CC AA A RR R OO O LL II NNN N AA A
CC AA A RRRRR OO O LL II NN N N AA A
CC AAAAAA RR R OO O LL II NN NN AAAAAA
CCCCC AA A RR R OOOO LLLLLL II NN N AA A
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
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
C A R O L I N A No 188, Friday, February 2, 1996.
FROM THE EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK (January 24-31)
Olga Havlova Dies
Olga Havlova, wife of Czech President Vaclav Havel, died January
27 at age 62 after a long bout with cancer. After her condition
worsened, she was admitted to the hospital until Vaclav Havel returned
her to their home January 24.
The funeral will be for close family members only, said
presidential spokesman Ladislav Spacek. The public will be able to visit
her coffin and sign a condolence book February 2 from 11 a.m. till 8
p.m. at Prague Castle.
Havlova founded the Goodwill Foundation, which has managed to
collect and distribute among the needy nearly 450 million crowns. The
foundation will continue its activity with Havlova's name. The Czech
public recently voted Havlova the country's most outstanding woman.
Petra Rubesova/Andrea Snyder
Condolence Messages to Vaclav Havel
"I know what a support Olga was for you, and I believe that you
will have enough strenght to come to terms with this loss,' wrote Prime
Minister Vaclav and Livie Klaus in a condolence telegram.
Parliament Chairman Milan Uhde said "few peple are as strong as was
Olga Havlova," and her work should be an example to others.
Journalist and former dissident Petr Uhl, a long-time friend of the
president, said it was because of his wife that Havel maintained strong
social ties. "Olga was in daily contact with people who had social
problems. In the past few years, she talked to hundreds and hundreds of
these people, which definitely influenced President Havel," added Uhl's
wife, Anna Sabatova.
Slovak President Michal Kovac also sent a condolence letter. "We
share in your sorrow and are thinking of you often in these difficult
times," he wrote. The audience in the theater "Divadlo Na Zabradli" held
a moment of silence January 27 evening in Havlova's memory. The Havel's
couple worked closely with the theater in the 1960's.
Many other well-known figures sent their condolences, including US
President Bill Clinton, Queen Elizabeth II, Pope John Paul II and Slovak
Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar.
Compiled from the Czech press by Petra Rubesova/Andrea Snyder
"Three Strikes and Out" Doesn't Pass
The proposed law "Three strikes and Out," which would have made
sentences for repeated serious crimes (murder, extortion, rape) more
severe, was turned down by the Cabinet January 24. The Christian
Democratic Union - Czechoslovak People's Party (KDU-CSL) proposed the
amendment. Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus said it would mean abandoning the
basic principle of Czech Penal Code - individual judgment of the
offender and his crime. The Cabinet rejected also the amendment proposed
by Pavel Severa (KDU-SL) to punish possession - not only dealing - of
drugs.
Matej Bartosek/Andrea Snyder
Dr. David Rath Becomes Election Leader of SD-LSNS in Eastern Bohemia
Physician's Union Club Chairman Dr. David Rath, who iniciated
November's doctor's strike, will be the the elections leader of the Free
Democrats - Liberal Socialist National Party (SD-LSNS) in eastern
Bohemia, where his rival is Minister of Health Jan Strasky of the Civic
Democratic Party (ODS). Rath considers the SD-LSNS a politically neutral
party and is pleased by running against Strasky.
According to the daily Lidove Noviny, SD-LSNS co-Chairman Jiri
Dienstbier regards LOK's alternative healthcare transformation program
as a serious attempt at improvement, and regards the union of LOK and
SD-LSNS as a hopeful for doctors and healthcare workers, for whom
a political change is urgent.
The members of LOK view the situation differently - some think
LOK's activity should not be related to any political party. According
to Jaroslav Strofa, LOK chairman at Prague's Bulovka Hospital, LOK
contacted more political parties, but only SD-LSNS expressed interest in
uniting.
Petra Rubesova/Petra Rubesova
Republican Deputy Jan Vik Charged
Parliamentary deputy for the rightist Assembly for the
Republic-Czechoslovak Republican Party (SPR-RSC) Jan Vik was charged
with spreading alarming information.
According to the prosecutor, Vik was to spread the pamphlets about
the alleged preparation of the Sudeten Germans' return to the Czech
Republic. An unnamed witness, who is a member of the Republican regional
association, confirmed that Vik signed a letter appealing to the witness
to distribute pamphlets falsely confirming an agreement between the
Czech government and the Sudeten German Landsmannschaft. The witness
informed Republican headquarters about the course of the activities,
refused to carry out the request and alerted authorities.
Vik was stripped of his parliamentary immunity by Parliament last
summer, which made his prosecution possible. If he is found guilty, he
may be sentenced to prison for up to a year, or fined.
Petra Rubesova/Petra Rubesova
Lizner's Sentence One Year Shorter
The Prague Municipal Court January 30 shortened former Center of
Coupon Privatization (CKP) Director Jaroslav Lizner's original
seven-year sentence to six years. Lizner may not work in the public
sector for 10 years and must pay a fine of 1 million crowns. Lizner, who
was first sentenced in October, is the highest state official to be
charged criminally since 1989.
He was convicted of accepting a bribe of about 8.3 million crowns
(roughly 300,000 USD) October 31, 1994 from Lubos Sotona, the managing
director of the TWI company. In exchange, Lizner was to have influenced
the sale of the dairy Mlekarny Klatovy (see Carolina 136, 137, 176).
Lizner and his attorney Jan Linda consider the verdict unjust.
Lizner should start to serve his sentence one month after receiving the
sentence in writing. With time off for good behavior, he could be
released after three years.
Matej Bartosek/Andrea Snyder
FROM SLOVAKIA
Slovak Foreign Trade Ends in Surplus
The Slovak trade balance showed a surplus of about 1.8 billion
slovak crowns, although the December balance ended up with deficit of
1.8 billion Slovak crowns. According to Slovak Minister of the Economy
Jan Ducky, the deficit was determined by seasonal factors and does not
represent a long-term trend.
Foreign trade increased 18.8 per cent from 1994, reaching 506.4
billion Slovak crowns. Slovakia's highest volume of trade was with the
Czech Republic, while the biggest deficit came from trade with Russia.
Despite the positive foreign trade indicators, Ducky said the
10-per cent import tariff will remain in place.
Marketa Skodova/Katerina Zachovalova
Meciar Wants to Sell All Slovak Banks by Mid-February
According to a January 25 announcement from Slovak Premier Vladimir
Meciar, the privatization of all Slovak banks except the National Bank
of Slovakia (NBS) should be completed by mid-February. NBS Governor
Vladimir Masar said at a press conference that he knows nothing about
any specific negotiations about the sale of individual banks, and he
advised journalists to ask Meciar directly about possible bank buyers.
NBS spokesman Jan Onda declared that completing bank privatization by
mid-February is utterly out of the question.
Marketa Skodova/Katerina Zachovalova
Famous Bratislava Hotel Carlton to Be Renovated
The oldest and most celebrated hotel in Bratislava, the Carlton,
will probably soon undergo a reconstruction. The Slovak National
Property Fund contacted the Belgian firm T.E.I. Group International,
which bought the hotel and the grounds, according to Czech daily MF
DNES. Overall investment in the turn-of-the-century building, today
almost destroyed, should exceed 2 billion Slovak crowns.
Carlton went bankrupt in 1992. Until that time it was the official
accommodation for important state visitors and celebrities.
Marketa Skodova/Katerina Zachovalova
ECONOMY/BUSINESS
1995 Czech Foreign Trade Deficit Exceeds 100 Billion Crowns
The Czech foreign trade deficit exceeded 101.7 billion crowns in
1995, according to a preliminary report from the Czech Statistic Office
made public this week. A later correction is possible, though 1994 final
data was worse than the preliminary report.
Lida Truneckova/Milan Smid
Panasonic To Build Factory in Pilsen
In 14 months construction should begin on
a television-manufacturing factory, built on Borske Pole in Pilsen
(Plzen) by Panasonic, a division of Matsushita Electric Industrial. The
annual capacity of the factory, which will cost 66 million USD to build,
should quickly increase from an initial 300,000 television sets to
a million. The factory will initially employ 350 people, but that amount
should grow to 1500 workers, with production expanding to other
audiovisual devices, said City of Pilsen spokeswoman Z. Kubalova to the
daily Plzensky denik.
Roznov-based Tesla, currently the sole producer of color TV sets in
the Czech Republic, is shocked by the aims of Matsushita. It is a threat
to the existence of Tesla, said the director of Tesla to press agency
CTK.
Marketa Skodova/Katerina Rus
Konsolidacni Banka Becomes Ekoagrobanka's Owner
State-owned Konsolidacni banka became the majority shareholder of
Ekoagrobanka when it underwrote Ekoagrobanka's 500=million-crtown share
issue. Konsolidacni's participation in Ekoagrobanka will probably last
three to four months. "It will be a while before the healing program
will have an effect and also before Konsolidacni, in cooperation with
the Czech National Bank (CNB), will find a solid investor," said
Konsolidacni spokeswoman Helena Zachystalova to Czech press agency CTK
January 25.
CNB helped Ekoagrobanka out of its recent crisis with an injection
of 3 billion crowns (see Carolina 187).
Marketa Skodova/Katerina Rus
IN BRIEF
* According to the Czech National Bank, direct foreign investment
from 1990 to September 1995 reached 5.3 billion USD. By the end of
1995, it should be 5.5 billion USD. The most foreign investment was
recorded in 1995, at 2.5 billion USD.
* Russia's Gazexport and Czech Transgas signed an agreement ensuring
8 billion to 9 billion square meters of Russian gas will annually flow
into the Czech Republic until 1998. The agreement was signed in Moscow
January 25, and assures Transgas of financial security through 2008.
* Last year the Prague brewery Prazske pivovary increased beer
exports by 65 per cent from 1994, increasing its market share by 10 per
cent. Prague's Staropramen is sold in Germany, the USA, Canada, the
former Soviet Union and last year it sold well in Britain as well.
* The German publisher Springer took over most of the shares of the
Czech weekly magazine Tyden, according to Editor-in-Chief Karel
Hvizdala. According to Hvizdala, Springer is thus securing its position
on the European market.
Marketa Skodova/Katerina Rus
Exchange Rates at the Czech National Bank
(valid from February 1)
country currency
------------------------------------------
Australia 1 AUD 20.372
Belgium 100 BEF 89.258
Great Britain 1 GBP 41.211
Denmark 1 DKK 4.742
Finland 1 FIM 6.004
France 1 FRF 5.344
Ireland 1 IEP 42.735
Italy 1000 ITL 17.115
Japan 100 JPY 25.583
Canada 1 CAD 19.809
Luxemburg 100 LUF 89.258
Netherlands 1 NLG 16.385
Norway 1 NOK 4.193
New Zealand 1 NZD 18.338
Portugal 100 PTE 17.705
Austria 1 ATS 2.610
Greece 100 GRD 11.106
Slovakia 100 SKK 90.318
Germany 1 DEM 18.348
Spain 100 ESP 21.763
Sweden 1 SEK 3.935
Switzerland 1 CHF 22.526
USA 1 USD 27.366
ECU 1 XEU 33.685
SDR 1 XDR 39.795
CULTURE
Czech Philharmonic without a General Conductor
The problems of General Conductor Gerd Albrecht in the Czech
Philharmony Orchestra (see Carolina 186, 187) culminated at a press
conference in Prague's Rudolfinum January 30. "I announce my immediate
resignation," said Albrecht. As the main reason Albrecht cited the
change of the Orchestra's statute which limits the general conductor's
authority by subordinating him to the Orchestra's general director.
Albrecht hopes for the quick abolition of this amendment, because it is
undignified and unacceptable for every general conductor. He added that
he had needed time to contemplate this painful step. He came to Prague
because of music, with the naivete that good music can overcome
everything evil, he said. Paradoxically, he accepted the function to
strenghten Czech-German relations; but these, in his case, "broke into
flame." Albrecht also pointed to the attitude of the media, emphasizing
some of his statements at the expense of others, e.g. creating the
illusion of "a German martyr". Albrecht does not consider hiumself
a martyr, nor does he want to be pitied.
Among possible successors to Albrecht are Libor Belohlavek, Charles
Mackarras of Great Britain, Ken-Icir Kobaisi of Japan and Jiri Pesek,
according to the January 31 edition of Czech daily MF DNES.
Katerina Zachovalova/Katerina Zachovalova
F.X.Salda Prize
The first F.X.Salda Prize was awarded to essayists Milan Jungmann
and Josef Vohryzek. They received the award for "excellent results in
the field of art criticism and critique writing" from the F.X.Salda
Society foundation in Prague's Viola club January 30.
Matej Bartosek/Katerina Zachovalova
Director Zeno Dostal Dies
The creator of the film Golet in the Valley (Golet v udoli), writer
and the Prague Jewish Community Chairman Zeno Dostal died January 30 at
the age of 62.
His poetic film Golet will be at the least nominated for some of
the 1995 Czech Lion film awards. He did not have enough time to realize
his plans to film another short story by Ivan Olbracht, About the Sad
Eyes of Hana Karadzicz. Dostal, who served as an assistant director for
many years, had also filmed documentaries for the Febio film society.
Katerina Zachovalova/Katerina Zachovalova
SPORTS
Hockey Extraleague Playoffs Approaching
Two rounds remain until the beginning of extraleague playoffs.
Results of the 37th round, January 26: Zlin-Vsetin 1-1,
Trinec-Slavia 4-3, Sparta-Litvinov 0-4, Brno-C.Budejovice 0-4,
Olomouc-Jihlava 8-0, Pardubice-Kladno 2-2, Plzen-Vitkovice 0-4.
Results of the 38th round, January 30: Vsetin-Zlin 3-1,
Slavia-Trinec 7-1, Litvinov-Sparta 2-6, C.Budejovice-Brno 11-1,
Jihlava-Olomouc 2-1, Kladno-Pardubice 4-4, Vitkovice-Plzen 0-5.
Postponed game from 33th round: Vitkovice-Vsetin 1-7.
Extraleague standings after 38 rounds:
1. Sparta 53, 2. Vsetin 52, 3. Litvinov 48, Budejovice 46, 5. Zlin
42, 6. Slavia 41, 7. Olomouc 36, 8. Kladno 35, 9. Vitkovice 35 10.
Jihlava 33, 11. Plzen 31, 12. Trinec 29, 13. Pardubice 28, 14. Brno 23.
Adam Kotalik
Novacek Accused of Taking Drugs
Czech tennis player Karel Novacek and the world's former number
one, Mats Wilander of Sweden, are accused of taking cocaine during the
1995 French Open. Both players deny the allegations, which were first
published in the British weekly News of the World. According to their
lawyers, both submitted to lie detector tests, which supported their
denials.
Novacek and Wilander are asking for 100 million USD to 200 million
USD in damages from the International Tennis Federation for breaching
anonymity regulations concerning drug accusations.
Adam Kotalik/Jitka Sevcikova
Financial Problems for Sparta Soccer Club
The management of Sparta Soccer Club found itself in trouble thanks
to recently uncovered substantial debts to SPT Telecom, Prazska
energetika and Prazska telparenska, three Czech utilities. Also the bank
Investicni a Postovni banka (IPB) announced Sparta is not capable of
repaying its 100-million-crown loan, which was confirmed by Sparta
President Petr Mach. Sparta borrowed 300 million crowns from IPB at
16.5 per cent interest to reconstruct its stadium.
Andrej Barcak, regional director of Sparta general sponsor General
Motors Europe, does not believe Sparta is threatened by collapse.
According to Barcak, bankruptcy is not an issue, because Sparta's assets
outweigh its debts.
Sparta Coach Vlastimil Petrzela declared that the economic problems
do not influence players, and that preparation continues according to
previous plans. (Sparta played to a tie with the German Bundesleague's
Bremen 0:0 January 30)
Adam Kotalik/Jitka Sevcikova
SPORTS IN BRIEF
* Petr Korda and Stefan Edberg of Sweden won the men's doubles title
at the Australian Open.
* Because of his weak condition and lack of discipline, the FC
Sporting Lisabon soccer team fired Czech attacker Tomas Skuhravy. He was
on loan till the end of the season from FC Janov. According to Skuhravy,
the reason of his firing was different: financial problems on the
Portuguese team and loss of the chance to win the championship.
* Biathlete Eva Hakova became the European champion at 7.5 km
Adam Kotalik/Jitka Sevcikova
WEATHER
Chilly but bright (even sunny), minus 10-15 degrees Celsius (14 to 5
degrees Fahrenheit) at night, up to 0 degrees Celsius (32 degrees
Fahrenheit) during the day.
English version edited by Michael Bluehm.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
This news may be published only with "CAROLINA" designation. The
subscription is free. Comments and remarks are appreciated. Send them
please to the address:
CAROLINA@cuni.cz
To subscribe to CAROLINA news you send an e-mail message to the address
LISTSERV@earn.cvut.cz
The text of message for subscription of the English version must be:
SUBSCRIBE CAR-ENG First name Last name
or for the Czech version
SUBSCRIBE CAR-CS First name Last name
To delete your subscription from the list of subscribers you send
the following message to the address LISTSERV@earn.cvut.cz:
SIGNOFF CAR-ENG or SIGNOFF CAR-CS
We ask you not to send automatic replies to our list. You can
temporalily stop receiving of Carolina by sending the command:
SET CAR-ENG NOMAIL
All Listserve commands should be sent to the address:
LISTSERV@earn.cvut.cz
Please, don't send commands SUB, SIGNOFF, NOMAIL etc to the address
CAR-CS@earn.cvut.cz or CAR-ENG@earn.cvut.cz!
