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Carolina (English) No 206
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STUDENTS' 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 206, Friday, June 7, 1996.
FORM THE EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK (May 29 - June 5)
ELECTION NEWS
Czech parliamentary elections were held May 31-June 1
ODS Wins Elections, Coalition Loses Parliamentary Majority
Although the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) won the first
parliamentary election in the independent Czech Republic, the governing
coalition lost its majority in Parliament. The coalition made up of ODS,
the Civic Democratic Alliance (ODA), and the Christian Democratic
Union-Czechoslovak People's Party (KDU-CSL) tallied 99 seats in the
200-seat Parliament.
ODS garnered 3 per cent more votes than the Czech Social Democratic
Party (CSSD), which is still celebrating its unexpected success. It will
now be impossible to make up a government without the support of or
a silent agreement with the Social Democrats. The Czech-Moravian
Communist Party and the far-right Association for the
Republic-Czechoslovak Republican Party also climbed over the 5-per-cent
barrier necessary to enter Parliament.
With 76.41 per cent of the voting population at the booths, voter
participation was down by 10 per cent from 1992.
Twenty political parties and movements were registered for the
election, though only 16 parties later paid the mandatory election
collateral necessary for printing their ballots.
Results of General Elections:
Civic Democratic Party (ODS) 29.62 per cent (68 seats)
Czech Social Democratic Party (CSSD) 26.44 per cent (61 seats)
Czech-Moravian Communist Party (KSCM) 10.33 per cent (22 seats)
Christian Democratic Union-Czechoslovak People's Party (KDU-CSL)
8.08 per cent (18 seats)
Association for the Republic-Czechoslovak Republican Party (SPR-RSC)
8.01 per cent (18 seats)
Civic Democratic Alliance (ODA) 6.36 per cent (13 seats)
Parties and Movements not to Be Represented in Parliament:
Retirees for Life Security (DZJ) 3.09 per cent
Democratic Union (DEU) 2.80 per cent
Free Democrats-Liberal Social National Party (SD-LSNS)
2.05 per cent
Left Bloc 1.40 per cent
Another six parties or movements did not surpass the 1-per-cent
barrier (e.g. Independents 0.5 per cent, Czech-Moravian Union of the
Center 0.45 per cent).
Matej Bartosek/Andrea Snyder
Most Likely Solution - Minority Government of Current Coalition
After President Vaclav Havel's talks with the heads of ODS, ODA,
KDU-CSL and CSSD, the most likely solution of the gridlocked
post-election situation seems to be a minority government made up of the
current coalition (ODS, ODA, KDU-CSL). However, this government would
have to rely on the support of at least a part of the opposition,
probably CSSD.
The current government coalition would be optimal, said Havel after
talks June 2 to Czech daily Lidove noviny. "But it is unthinkable,
without a clear discussion with the party that got the second-highest
number of seats, and without permanent discussion with them about the
method and conditions of its supporting for such a coalition," Havel
said.
However, it will probably be difficult to reach an agreement
between the coalition parties and the opposition. The Communists and the
Republicans are unacceptable for any coalition, and the Social Democrats
condition their support of a government to meeting certain personnel and
policy demands.
CSSD Chairman Milos Zeman June 3 rejected Prime Minister Vaclav
Klaus being reappointed, but one day later he would not rule out such
a possibility. But Zeman continues to demand that ministers Jindrich
Vodicka (Labor and Social Affairs), Jan Ruml (Interior), Karel Dyba
(Economy) and Igor Nemec (without portfolio) not be part of a new
government. ODS refuses to accept these attempts to dictate the
composition of the government.
The Social Democrats will try to create higher regional territorial
administrative offices, the amendment of public support laws (e.g.
a return to a flat rate for child subsidies), to separate pension funds
from the state budget and to stop the gradual increase of the retirement
age.
The decentralization of state administration and separation of
pension funds from the state budget find support also in the
coalition's minority parties - ODA and KDU-CSL, which however oppose the
Social Democrats' proposals for retirement age limits and child
subsidies.
If a coalition of ODS, KDU-CSL and ODA could not find support for
their rule in Parliament, several other possibilities exist. For
example, a broad coalition government of CSSD and ODS could be
established, though both party chairmen have repeatedly rejected this
option; according to ODA Chairman Jan Kalvoda, a coalition between ODS
and CSSD would lead to the "most stable situation possible."
One final way to solve the deadlock is to dissolve Parliament and
hold new elections. However, the Senate must exist in order for
Parliament to be dissolved, and the first Senate elections will take
place in November. Moreover, all leading politicians, with the exception
of SPR-RSC Chairman Miroslav Sladek, have rejected this solution.
Havel officially requested Klaus to begin talks on a future
coalition after the June 6 first meeting of ODS, CSSD, KDU-CSL and ODA
chairmen together with the president. Havel asked the current coalition
parties to negotiate with CSSD (Zeman will get control of Parliament and
Klaus will retain the goverment, according to the June 5 issue of daily
MF DNES).
Petr Pabian/Andrea Snyder
Moravia Votes Differently than Bohemia, Women Differently than Men
Differences between particular regions and social groups became
clear in the results of the elections. While the Civic Democratic Party
(ODS) received 43.85 per cent of the vote in Prague and the Czech Social
Democratic Party (CSSD) 18.68 per cent, CSSD won in Moravia and in North
Bohemia. Moravia and northern Bohemia represent the areas of heavy
industry most threatened by high unemployment and social problems.
ODS suffered its most one-sided loss in northern Moravia, where the
chairmen of the two strongest parties - Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus
(ODS) a Milos Zeman (CSSD) - ran. ODS received 27.52 per cent and CSSD
34.21 per cent of the vote. Election results were the most defined in
Prague, where satisfaction with reforms is the highest in the country.
The Civic Democratic Alliance (ODA) received 9.6 per cent of votes
there, while in northern Moravia they collected 3.92 per cent.
The proto-fascist Association for the Republic-Republican Party of
Czechoslovakia (SPR-RSC) received 12.65 percent of the vote in northern
Bohemia, a region which traditionally manifests support for the
Republicans because of their final solution for the Romany (Gypsy)
problem - northern Bohemia has a large Romany population.
ODS received an landslide majority from entrepreneurs (ODS 54 per
cent, CSSD 15 per cent) and also among citizens older than 60 (ODS 41
per cent, CSSD 18 per cent). CSSD, though, took in 32 per cent of the
blue-collar vote (ODS 24 per cent), and, with the communists, won in the
ranj\ks of the army and police (together 56 per cent against 14 per cent
for ODS). Women gave a far greater preference to ODS than to CSSD in the
elections (ODS 31.6 per cent, CSSD 24.9 per cent). More women also
supported the other parties of the governing coalition. On the other
hand, the Republicans more attracted the male part of population.
Communists received the same support from both sexes.
The parties preferred by women will paradoxically have less female
representatives in Parliament than the political parties men voted for.
ODS has the lowest percentage of female deputies (10.3 per cent). It
will staff with women 7 from its total number of 68 seats. CSSD will
seat the most women in the legislature - 11 of its 61 seats, while the
Republicans have the highest percentage of female deputies (27.8 per
cent, 5 women from 18 deputies).
Petra Rubesova, Jitka Motejzikova/Petra Rubesova, Jitka Motejzikova
Foreign Reaction to Czech Parliamentary Elections
Foreign media rate Czech parliamentary elections as a victory for
Milos Zeman and express fears of the loss of the country's stability.
German press agency DPA said Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus forgot his
reforms did not make only winners.
Klaus changed overnight from the unquestioned leader of Czech
reform into a man fighting for his political survival, though the prime
minister has overcome a few blows already and certainly will not give up
now, wrote the Reuters agency.
Austrian Social Democrat Chancellor Franz Vranitzky expressed his
delight with the great success of his party collegues, while Polish
newspapers comment the Czech situation thusly: "The Pyrrhic victory of
Vaclav Klaus," or "The end of political stability in the Czech
Republic."
Slovak reactions agree the stability of Czech politics is
threatened. Leftist politician Peter Weiss was thrilled by the success
of the left but he is afraid of possible political gridlock. Democratic
Union Chairman Jozef Moravcik declared the Czech election results gave
no reason for joy.
Spanish press agency EFE said, regarding the loss of the
parliamentary majority of the conservavative governing coalition, the
Czech Republic will not further represent an oasis of political
stability among post-communist countries. However, no politician
questioned the final objective of the Czech Republic - western Europe
and NATO, wrote Spanish daily El Pais.
The American media did not pay much attention to the Czech
elections. According to the New York correspondent for Czech daily
Lidove noviny, major TV stations did not mention the voting in their
news reports June 4, and national papers such as The New York Times and
USA Today came up only with a brief notes stating the results of the
elections reflected Czech voters' desire to decelerate slightly the pace
of the reforms promoted by Klaus' governing coalition.
Petra Rubesova/Petra Rubesova
Bonn Will Not Bar Czech Entrance to NATO and EU
According to German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel, the Bonn
government will not condition its support for the entrance of the Czech
Republic into the European Union and NATO on resolution of the Sudeten
German problem.
The long-expected declaration about Czech-German relations will be
worked on at the conference of the North Atlantic Council for
Cooperation, which began in Berlin June 3. Czech Foreign Minister Josef
Zieleniec will not attend the meeting with Kinkel because of the tense
post-election situation. Deputy Minister Alexandr Vondra will represent
him. The theme of the negotiations are property settlement and moral
questions of bilateral harm during World War II and the post-war
expulsion of Sudeten Germans.
Jitka Motejzikova/Jitka Motejzikova
CTI instead of CTA
After disputes among major shareholders which threatened the Czech
Press Agency (CTA) with financial bankruptcy, the agency stopped
providing services May 31. CTA, founded in 1994, was replaced by the
Czech Press Company (CTI) which took over the former news services and
continues to use the same communication system. CTI does not have any
property connection with CTA, and distances itself from CTA's
million-crown debts, wrote Czech daily Lidove noviny. CTI's majority
owner is the Toma company from Otrokovice, said CTI Chairman of the
Board Miroslav Sevcik. Sevcik said the new agency is prepared to compete
with the state-owned Czech Press Office on the information market.
Klara Schirova/Klara Schirova
FROM SLOVAKIA
Rupture in Government Coalition?
The Slovak National Party (SNS), a hitherto coalition partner of
the Movement For a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS), has vehemently attacked
goverment policy. The nationalist SNS, known as radical and unwilling to
retreat from its opponents, suddenly asked for a truce with the
opposition, through the representation of SNS Chairman Jan Slota. Slota
plans to initiate an extraordinary session of the National Assembly and
propose opposition control over privatization and the secret police,
according to Czech daily Lidove noviny. SNS was joined by another
coalition member, the Slovak Workers' Association, when their
representative, National Property Fund Chairman Stefan Gavornik,
declared illegal activities are taking place in the fund.
Slovak Premier Vladimir Meciar met June 5 with Slota and agreed on
expanded control of the secret police, and the two discussed
privatization as well, the Czech media reported.
Matej Bartosek/Klara Schirova
ECONOMY
Value of Czech Crown Falls and Rises
One consequence of the surprising results of Czech elections
appeared on the currency market June 3, when the value of the Czech
crown fell 2.2 per cent. A similar fate befell the stock market, where
the main index, the PX-50, lost more than 4 percentage points. Some
specialists claim the declines spring from uncertainty about further
political development in the Czech Republic.
According to the Czech National Bank, this change represents only
an unimportant movement, and the return of foreign investors to the
market can be expected. Head economists from the Commerce Bank and Czech
financial powerhouse Patria Finance agreed that the quick establishment
of a new government and Parliament will be a condition for the inflow of
foreign capital. If the new government is stable and decides to follow
the path of economical reforms of its predecessors, the election results
should not be a barrier to positive progress on the market.
With the first signals June 4 that the political players might
agree on a government headed by Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus, the crown
significantly rose.
The Czech Social Democratic Party, which will probably have
a substantial impact on the future course of the Czech economy, is
prepared to propose some measures differing from the policy of the
current government (for example, maintaining state control in the
energy, transportation and communications sectors and in larger
healthcare institutions, the possible introduction of import tariffs and
a deficit budget and special rules for the participation of foreign
capital in Czech companies).
The Social Democrats and the Civic Democratic Party agree the
country should orient itself toward the West and continue to support
a market economy.
Klara Schirova/Klara Schirova
Exchange Rates at the Czech National Bank
(valid from June 6)
country currency
------------------------------------------
Australia 1 AUD 21.911
Belgium 100 BEF 88.490
Great Britain 1 GBP 42.956
Denmark 1 DKK 4.715
Finland 1 FIM 5.930
France 1 FRF 5.369
Ireland 1 IEP 44.034
Italy 1000 ITL 17.998
Japan 100 JPY 25.523
Canada 1 CAD 20.384
Luxemburg 100 LUF 88.490
Netherland 1 NLG 16.265
Norway 1 NOK 4.256
New Zealand 1 NZD 18.659
Portugal 100 PTE 17.632
Austria 1 ATS 2.587
Greece 100 GRD 11.534
Slovakia 100 SKK 89.331
Germany 1 DEM 18.204
Spain 100 ESP 21.500
Sweden 1 SEK 4.133
Switzerland 1 CHF 22.174
USA 1 USD 27.839
ECU 1 XEU 34.424
SDR 1 XDR 40.150
CULTURE
Czech Film Kolya Celebrates Great Success
The new film of director Jan Sverak (Elementary school, Accumulator
1, The Ride) Kolya became the most visited film in the Czech Republic
immediately after its May 15 premiere. By Carolina deadline about
170,000 tickets had been bought. Only American films offer Kolya any
competition in the country's top 10 biggest draws.
The director's father, legendary comic writer and actor Zdenek
Sverak, wrote the script and plays the film's lead as well. The film
narrates the story of a confirmed older bachelor and a Russian boy named
Kolya. The plot unfolds in Czechoslovakia during the later normalization
of the late 1980's. Because of problems with the regime, the aging
cellist is permitted to play only at funerals. For 40,000 Czechoslovak
crowns (the average Czech annual income at that time), he formally
marries a Russian woman, who emigrates soon after their wedding. The
only thing she leaves behind is her five-year-old son Kolya. The
original crustiness of a man used to living alone slowly changes into
a fragile mutual closeness.
Kolja has thus far made about 6 million crowns. British, French and
American audiences will have the opportunity to see this hilarious and
well thought-out film.
Jitka Motejzikova/Jitka Motejzikova
SPORT
Great Wedding of Great Ice Skaters
Last year's world champions (amateurs and professionals) in pairs
figure skating Radka Kovarikova and Rene Novotny got married at the Brno
Town Hall at noon June 1. The groom was more nervous than during free
skating and tripped up while saying "I do." For his chosen one, on the
other hand, competitions are more stressful, she said. The bride was
wearing traditional white and looked marvelous. Kovarikova will use her
husband's last name.
Kovarikova and Novotny have known each other since 1981 and trained
together since 1988 (recently under the coaching of Irina Rodninova).
That moment was also the starting point of their relationship. Rene, who
turns 33 June 10 and thus becomes a full dozen years older than his
wife, said Radka was at first like a younger sister to him. Though as
time went by, their relationship changed and everything ended up at the
city hall.
Matej Bartosek/Katerina Zachvalova
Soccer: Dress Rehearsal for EURO 96
The Czech team defeated the Swiss 2:1 in Basel June 1, in the last
game before the European Soccer Championship in England. The victory was
mainly thanks to forward Pavel Kuka, who scored both goals. Czech soccer
players thus repaired their reputation after their May 29 1:0 defeat
1:0 at the hands of the Austrian team in Salzburg.
Matej Bartosek/Katerina Zachovalova
CORRECTION
We apologize for misleading our readers in the last issue of Carolina by
translating the Europe Soccer Championship as the World Cup 96 instead
of as its proper English name, EURO 96.
WEATHER
To Those Remaining in Prague:
Go outside, relax in the midst of the everyday bustle, open your
arms wide and show your face to burning sun. Let all the remnants of
this year's overlong winter melt from your body, let your cheeks tan and
let freckles hidden underneath your skin blossom in their full beauty.
A light breeze will flow through your hair. What more could you want?
Jitka Motejzikova/Katerina Zachovalova
English version edited by Michael Bluhm
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