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Carolina (English) No 180
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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
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
C A R O L I N A No 180, Friday, November 24, 1995.
FROM THE EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK (November 15-22)
Czech Politicians React to Results of Polish Presidential Elections
President Vaclav Havel hopes that the newly elected Polish President
Alexander Kwasniewsky will continue the democratic changes introduced by
his predecessor, Lech Walesa.
Czech Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus supposes the landslide victory of
the new Polish president will not mean "any essential changes in the
foregoing exceptionally good relations between the Czech Republic and
Poland."
The newly elected Polish leader was welcomed by almost the entire
Czech political opposition. Social Democratic Party Chairman Milos Zeman
believes in the prosperity of Poland and improvement in Czech-Polish
relations.
"The Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (KSCM) considers the
election results a natural response to the preceding activities of the
rightist government,"said KSCM spokeswoman Vera Zezulkova.
Victorie Reschova, Michaela Vysoudilova/Kassymova Alida.
Celebrations of the November 17th Anniversary
November 17 the Czech Republic marked the sixth anniversary of the
Velvet Revolution, which reopened the nation's doors to democracy. The
highest state representatives, including President Vaclav Havel, Prime
Minister Vaclav Klaus and Chairman of the strongest opposition party,
the Social Democrats, Milos Zeman, came to pay tribute at the statue of
St. Wenceslas in Prague. Klaus said the events of six years ago were
a break in our lives and a revolution of all that we had experienced and
were experiencing today". After laying flowers at the Narodni trida site
of the fatal demonstration that led to the revolution, Zeman said "on
the occassion of the sixth anniversary of November, this government gave
university students tuition."
President Havel invited 20 participants of the November revolution
to an informal meeting.
The Czech press also reacted to the significant anniversary.
Saturday's edition of the daily Pravo published a page-long interview
with President Havel and an article on Civil Forum, the first democratic
political group on the Czech political scene after November 17. The
daily Denni Telegraf published the anniversary speech of Parliament
Chairman Milan Uhde.
The fact that November 17 is not only an anniversary of 1989 but
also a rememberance of the events of 1939 was remembered by friends and
former classmates of Jan Opletal in front of Hlavka's student dormitory
in Prague.
Natasa Hajkova, Jaromir Vicari/Klara Schirova
Josef Zieleniec Calls on Bonn for Compensation for Czech Victims of
Nazism
Minister of Foreign Affairs Josef Zieleniec addressed the audience
November 16 at the series of lectures "On Coexistence" (about
Czech-German relations) organized by Charles University and the
Bertelsmann Foundation. He again spoke for the compensation of Czech
victims of German Nazism. The compensation should be a part of a common
"future fund" that both governments would support financially, he said.
The Czech press noted in connection that the current government paid
Czech victims more than one billion crowns as a humanitarian gesture.
Zieleniec proposed that both sides in the future would eliminate
steps that could cast doubt on the political and legal systems of the
other country. The minister refused the posibility of uncovering the
absolute truth about the Czech-German past and recommended instead
concentrating on the present and future. He also credited the
constructive approach of both countries' political opposition,
especially the active participation of the Czech Social Democrat, which
has showed a sense for partyless national interest, he said.
The speech met with sharp disagreement from Communist Party
Chairman Miroslav Grebenicek, who called the politics of the Czech
government "neo-collaboration."
Zbynek Vicar/Klara Schirova
Zdenek Mlynar Charged With Treason
Zdenek Mlynar, a leading activist in the 1968 Prague Spring, was
charged with treason November 16. According to the Bureau of
Documentation and Investigation of Communist Crimes (UDV), Mlynar was to
take part in the August 1968 organization of the so-called
labor-agricultural party, which was to have come to power with the
support of invading armies.
Mlynar, in a written press statement, calls the charges "political
revenge." He said the charges are based on a the testimony of Vasil
Bilak, who was recently tried by the UDV in Slovakia. Mlynar refuses to
testify before the UDV because he doesn't trust them, and he said Vaclav
Benda is politically biased. Benda is the head of the Christian
Democratic Party, which runs UDV.
Mlynar, current honorary chairman of the Left Block, is only
another in the line of high party officials that have been accused of
treason in relation to the Augusst invasion. Others include Milous
Jakes, Josef Lenart, Karel Hoffmann, Zbynek Sojak and Jan Piller, who
died this October. The sentence for treason is from 12 years in prison
to life.
Michal Kubal/Andrea Snyder
Czech and Slovak Border to Be Shorter
Parliament November 15 approved a proposal to negotiate a border
agreement between the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The agreement must
still be approved by Parliament as constitutional law.
The border will be shortened from the original 285 km to 251 km by
straightening. The small village of Sidonie will become Czech and
U Sabotu will be turned over to the Slovaks. The land exchange will
total 450 hectares.
The Czech Press Agency reported the Mayor of Javornik (in the
U Sabotu region) as marking the Czech government's decision impudent. He
says that of 37 homes, approximately 20 will want to move to the Czech
Republic. The government has declared its readiness to aid these, and
similar cases, in their move to the Czech Republic.
Matej Husek/Andrea Snyder
Physician's Strike Takes a Break
Following a meeting with President Vaclav Havel, the leadership of
the Physician's Union Club (LOK) called off the administrative strike
November 17. The strike had lasted for nearly three weeks.
Havel met with LOK Chairman Dr. David Rath and other LOK
representatives, because conditions had made it impossible to discuss
and develop health reforms. Rath said Havel was the only politician to
ask the doctors to end the strike.
At a November 30 meeting, LOK will decide whether to end the strike
entirely, and what further steps should be. Rath said the decision
depends on the proposals offered by the Ministry of Health.
Klaus said the meeting with the president was something Rath had
been desperately awaiting a long time as a way to get out of the strike.
Radim Wolak/Andrea Snyder
Government Approves Proposal of New University Law
The bill passed by the government November 15 would require
students to pay school fees from the start of the 1996-7 school year.
The state's share of room and board would be decided by availability and
need.
School fees for the 1996-97 school year would range from 2,500
crowns to 11,000 crowns, which is 5 per cent to 20 per cent of the
average per-student cost. Students would be able to receive
state-guaranteed loans. They could begin repaying it one year after
finishing school, over the same number of years they studied. Most
rectors estimate tuition will be about 6,000 crowns.
The bill must be passed by Parliament. Parliament School Committee
Chairman Frantisek Kozel said Parliament should approve the law before
students start applying to universities at the end of February. In
Parliament, the voices of those opposed to the tuition law are growing
louder. Objections have been aired by members of the government's
coalition partners, the Civic Democratic Alliance and the Christian
Democratic Union - Czechoslovak People's Party, who either reject the
proposal outright or claim the proposed fees are too high.
Marketa Skodova/Andrea Snyder
Klaus Voted Chairman at ODS Party Congress
Negotiations between the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) and the
Christian Democratic Party (KDS) peaked with the approval of an
integration contract proposal. All party positions remained the same.
Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus was re-elected as chairman, and Libor Novak
stays on as acting vice-chairman. Josef Zielienec, Jan Strasky, Jiri
Vlach, and Ivan Pilip are vice-chairmen. The congress also approved the
existing ODS long-term platform.
ODS electoral leaders for regional party associations were also
chosen at the meeting. Candidates will be lead by Foreign Minister Josef
Zielienec in Prague, by Finance Minister Ivan Kocarnik in central
Bohemia, by Transportation Minister Vladimir Budinsky in northern
Bohemia, by Interior Minister Jan Ruml in western Bohemia, by Health
Minister Jan Strasky in eastern Bohemia, by Parliament Deputy Chairman
Jiri Vlach in southern Bohemia, by Parliament Chairman Milan Uhde in
southern Moravia and by Klaus in northern Moravia.
Barbora Spevackova and Petr Mrzena/Andrea Snyder
KDS to Merge with ODS in Spring
The Christian Democratic Party (KDS) will merge with the governing
Civic Democratic Party (ODS) in March 1996, decided KDS delegates at the
November 18 party congress in Svitavy. The merger contract secures KDS
at least four places on the ODS candidate slate in the next
parliamentary elections. Minister of Education Ivan Pilip was
re-elected as KDS chairman.
Spokesman for the Preservation of the KDS platform Rostislav
Gargulak (see Carolina 178) called the move "dishonorable", during the
extensive discussion that preceded the ratification of the contract.
Gargulak claims that, within ODS, the former KDS will not have the
possibility to implement its program. Gargulak would not rule out future
cooperation between his group and the Christian Democratic Union
- Czechoslovak People's Party (KDU-CSL) or the Club of Committed
Non-Party Members (KAN).
Petra Rubesova/Petra Rubesova
KAN Doesn't Want To Merge With ODS
By a one-vote margin, members of the Club of Committed Non-Party
Members' (KAN) congress voted against a merger contract with the
Christian Democratic Party (KDS) and a subsequent merger with the Civic
Democratic Party (ODS).
KAN chairman Emil Dejmek and a part of the KAN leadership resigned
after the vote, and left the negotiations to join KDS. (It is estimated
that about one-third of KAN's members will join KDS.)
Merger adversary Pavel Holba was elected as the new KAN chairman.
Congress delegates also decided that KAN will not participate in next
year's parliamentary elections.
Petra Rubesova/Petra Rubesova
Cafe Slavia to Open in One Year
The conflict which has kept Prague' s famous Slavia Cafe closed
might have been settled by the Prague City Court's decision November 17
that the rental contract between the Academy of Music Arta (AMU) and
Boston firm HN Gorin is invalid. The court claimed the contract was
closed without the approval of the Prague 1 District Office.
The AMU's lawyer had asserted the contract's invalidity from the
beginning of the argument (said AMU financial officer Tamara Curikova,
according to Lidove noviny), leading to AMU's announcement one year ago
of a public tender for a new rental contract on Lazansky Palace, where
Slavie is located. The Parnas company had the winning bid then, and it
will likely become the tenant. One of Parnas' owners, Filip Sedivy, said
the cafe should open within 8 months after beginning reconstuction. He
also said the cafe should return to its original 1930's look, and will
become a place frequented mainly by students and teachers.
The campaign to reopen the cafe, where Czech intellectuals and
artists used to gather, has been joined by a wealth of well known Czech.
"It is a nice gift for Czech culture and intelligentsia for November
17," said President Vaclav Havel.
Zora Kasikova/Katerina Zachovalova
FROM SLOVAKIA
Slovak Government Approves Language Law
The Slovak Parliament November 15 approved the government's
national language proposal. During debate, Minister of Culture Hudec
said that "the second-rate position of Slovak in a mixed-language land,
today represses communication in this language." Hungarian coalition
Deputy Rosza claimed the law to be "an instrument for the assimilation
of minorities, which is in contradiction to a number of international
documents."
According to one of the accepted proposed amendments, the whole
official agenda and the health agenda must be carried out in the
official language. On the other hand, weddings will not have to be
conducted in Slovak. The part concerning education allows exceptions in
which university lectures and textbooks could be in a foreign language.
The maximum fine for those who do not obey the law was decreased
from 1 million crowns to 500,000 crowns. The law does not specify the
obligation of dubbing or putting subtitles in Czech movies, it is only
necessary to assure their comprehensibility. The deputies of the
Hungarian coalition suggested the prompt creation of a law dealing with
minority languages.
The entire debate took place in an exceptionally excited atmosphere.
In front of the Parliament building about 200 people gathered at the
invitation of Matice Slovenska, the century-old Slovak national
promotion organization, to demonstrate their support of the law. At the
suggestion of the ruling Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) the
members voted individually - every deputy had to stand up after he was
called upon and proclaim yes or no. The voting was broadcasted live by
Slovak public television. The session ended with a version of the
patriotic song "Hey Slovaks!".
Petr Pabian/Katerina Rus
European Parliament Warns Slovak Government
The European Parliament addressed the Slovak government November
16 with a sharply-fomulated invitation to uphold the principles of
democracy and a legal country. This is the third recent demarche that
expresses discontent with internal political development in Slovakia.
Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) press spokesman Haber
reacted by saying "Concerning the European Parliament resolution to
Slovakia, HZDS reminds you of a recent story, when the leaders of Nazi
Germany first sent countries demarches, and then occupied them with
tanks...Also the leaders of the Soviet Union sent Czechoslovakia
a demarche in 1968, and then occupied our land with Warsaw Pact armies."
However, HZDS representatives distanced themselves from Haber's remarks.
Haber then said the public announcements were his own personal opinions
and not the official HZDS party standpoint.
During his regular Friday interview on Slovak radio, Premier
Vladimir Meciar said he would like to meet with the EU chairman as soon
as possible and clarify all things concerning the EU demarches and the
European Parliament resolution.
Petr Pabian/Andrea Snyder
Velvet Revolution Celebrated with Demonstrations
The Slovak public celebrated the sixth anniversary of the November
17 Velvet Revolution, the birth of democratic change in what was then
the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic. Reminders of the revolution were,
however, often accompanied by criticism of the current developments in
Slovakia.
About 10,000 people demonstrated in Bratislava November 17, and
heard, among others, former premier Jozef Moravcik. In his speech, he
charged current Premier Vladimir Meciar with misusing the police and
secret service for his own personal goals, and with influencing public
television and radio. "He wants to make both the state and the nation
his," said Moravcik.
Petr Pabian/Andrea Snyder
Investigators of Michal Kovac Jr. Kidnapping Did Not Break Law
The Inspection Service Office closed its investigation of Ivan
Lexa's charges aginst Jaroslav Simunic and Peter Vacok, investigators of
the kidnapping of Michal Kovac Jr. (see Carolina 173). The inspection
did not discover any illegal activities on the part of the investigators
and the policemen will not be prosecuted.
Petr Pabian/Katerina Zachovalova
Peter Weiss Refuses to Run for Chairman of SDL
Peter Weiss, current chairman of the Party of the Democratic Left
(SDL), decided not to candidate again for the position. That does not
mean he wants to leave politics, he would in fact like to work in SDL's
leadership in the future, he said. Weiss gave reasons for his refusal in
the daily Pravo November 15 - he cited Slovakia's internal political
developments, saying, "Everything has gone too far. I am getting
scared."
Petr Pabian/Katerina Zachovalova
ECONOMY
Russia Begins Paying Debt to Czech Republic in Goods
Czech Minister of Finance Ivan Kocarnik and Russian Vice-Premier
Yuri Yarov signed a contract November 17 in Prague to prevent double
taxation and tax evasion.
At the same time a program of the scientific and technical
cooperation was signed. During the following press conference, Kocarnik
called the signing very positive. Yarov said Russia will pay in goods
130 million USD of the debt owed to the Czech Republic.
"The type of goods, and partners, are still being sought for another
70 million USD," Yarov said.
The payment of the remaining Russian debt of 3.5 billion USD
depends on the interest of Czech businessmen and Russia's conditions,
Kocarnik said.
Marketa Skodova/Aresn Kocharian
NEWS IN BRIEF
* The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development(OECD) has
officially declared that in November it will accept the Czech Republic
as the first country from Central and Eastern Europe to become a member.
* November 15 the government announced an 8 per cent cost-of-living
increase to take effect January 1, which will mean the automatic
increase of a number of various subsidies under the new social security
system.
* Representatives of the IOC foreign petrochemical firms and the
domestic Unipetrol holding signed a contract November 15 for foreign
participation in the Czech refineries Kaucuk Kralupy and Chemopetrol
Litvinov.
* A November 15 extraordinary general shareholders' meeting of Pilsen
Bank voted overwhelmingly in favor of a new nine-member board reflecting
Motoinvest's shareholding majority in the bank (see Carolina 179).
David Sprincl/Arsen Kocharian
Exchange Rates at the Czech National Bank
(valid from Nov. 24)
country currency
------------------------------------------
Australia 1 AUD 19.388
Belgium 100 BEF 90.558
Great Britain 1 GBP 41.059
Danemark 1 DKK 4.805
Finland 1 FIM 6.234
France 1 FRF 5.403
Ireland 1 IEP 42.281
Italy 1000 ITL 16.518
Japan 100 JPY 26.096
Canada 1 CAD 19.413
Luxemburg 100 LUF 90.558
Netherlands 1 NLG 16.622
Norway 1 NOK 4.224
New Zealand 1 NZD 17.126
Portugal 100 PTE 17.808
Austria 1 ATS 2.645
Greece 100 GRD 11.257
Slovakia 100 SKK 89.479
Germany 1 DEM 18.613
Spain 100 ESP 21.749
Sweden 1 SEK 4.029
Switzerland 1 CHF 23.071
USA 1 USD 26.271
ECU 1 XEU 34.163
IMF 1 XDR 39.363
CULTURE
Czech Book Receives American Award
The book Je moji vlasti hradba ghett? (Is the Wall of Ghettos My
Fatherland?) by three Czech authors was honored by the Jewish Book
Council in New York. National prize for Jewish book of the year 1995 was
awarded in the category publications inspired by theme of holocaust.
The book was already published with English title We Are Children
Just the Same, subtitled VEDEM - The Secret Magazine by the Boys of
Terezin, in Philadelphia. In the name of authors - Marie Rut Krizkova,
Jiri Kotouc and Zdenek Ornest - a former child prisoner of the Terezin
concentration camp, Canadian businessman Jiri Brady, accepted the prize
in Boston November 16. Prague publisher Aventinum was represented by
Rabbi Michael Monson.
The book is a collection of documents about the weekly magazine
VEDEM written from 1942-4 by 13- to 15-year-old boys in Terezin
(Theresienstadt). Among the contributors to the magazine were both male
authors and Jiri Brady. Selected items from the magazines include
drawings, interviews and commentaries from the boys. The book, with
introduction by President Vaclav Havel, is to be published in Czech and
German by the end of November in Prague.
Klara Schirova, Marketa Hudkova/Jitka Hejtmanova
Divadlo Za Branou Is Dead
Citing financial crisis, Members of Theater Divadlo za branou III
announced end of the group during the premiere performance November 16
of the play Letni byt (The Summer Apartment) by Carlo Goldoni.
Theater Divadlo za branou was established in 1965 (it might
celebrate its 30th anniversary in a few days). Among its founders, aside
from director Otomar Krejca, were actors Jan Triska, Marie Tomasova,
playwright Josef Topol and producer Karel Kraus.
The theater was known especially for the excellent performance of
its actors, good direction and dramaturgic preparation and its unique
staging style. The theater was closed by the Ministry of Culture in
1972 for "technical reasons."
The legendary theater opened again five years ago with the name
Divadlo za branou II. Financial problems arose from the very beginning
of theater activity. Last year Otomar Krejca closed and reopened the
theater to gain public funds during the transformation of state culture
subsidies.The group resumed performing under the name Divadlo za branou
III.
Jitka Motejzikova/Jitka Motejzikova
Jazz Heaven at Eden
The Wayne Shorter Sextet performed November 17 in Prague's Eden
club. The concert of the 62-year-old saxophonist (who performed with the
late Miles Davis and founded Weather Report) and his band took place as
part of the European Teacher's Jazz Festival, organized by the AghARTa
Foundation and the Assembly DIRECT company. The concert was inspired
exclusively by the album High Life, which Shorter produced after an
eight-year hiatus. This master of modern jazz, in response to a question
from daily Lidove Noviny, said that playing jazz is like touching
eternity.
Klara Schirova, Marketa Hudkova/Jitka Motejzikova
Smok's Ballet Celebrates 20th anniversary
The Prague Chamber Ballet celebrated 20 years of existence November
18 with the premiere of Jeden zivot (One life). The ballet group was
established in the year 1975 and its history is joined foremost with the
name of choreographer Pavel Smok. Today, the most meaningful Czech
modern dance group has financial problems, which prevented it from
realizing the project Don Juan. Smok's ballet premiered five works and
performed a total of 120 times last season.
Klara Schirova, Marketa Hudkova/Jitka Motejzikova
Christmas Present - Miracle by Karel Gott
Czech music legend Karel Gott debuted his third album with
a Christmas theme November 15. He received a gold record for the album,
entitled Zazrak vanocni (Christmas miracle), because the number of
preliminary orders exceeded the barrier of 29,000. Not only classical
Christmas compositions appear on the new album, but also modified
melodies by Bach, Tchaikovsky, Suchy and Slitr.
Klara Schirova, Marketa Hudkova/Jitka Motejzikova
SPORT
Slavia Scoreless at Home In UEFA Cup
The first match of 3rd round of the UEFA Cup between Slavia Prague
and Racing Lens (France) ended without goals or chances. Slavia's Smicer
had the best possibility, but failed to score.
Slavia head coach Cipro said, "I am not satisfied."
Karel Bartek/Jan Palicka
Liberec Leads Czech Soccer Standings
The biggest surprise of the last round of Czech soccer league
played out in Prague, where Sparta was played to a 1:1 tie by Jablonec.
Liberec defeat Hradec Kralove 3-2 with goal in the last minute and leads
the standings.
Results of the 14th round: Brno-Slavia 0-2, Zizkov-Ceske Budejovice
4-0, Liberec-Hradec Kralove 3-2, Sparta-Jablonec 1-1, Olomouc-Drnovice
2-0, Zlin-Ostrava 0-0, Cheb-Plzen 1-2, Opava-Uherske Hradiste 2-0.
Adam Kotalik/Jan Palicka
Hockey Players Make Three Rounds in One Week
Defending champion Vsetin has followed its successful performance
in the European Cup with a crisis. Vsetin defeated Zlin but then lost
its matches with Slavia and Vitkovice. On the programme was Prague's
great "S" derby - Sparta defeated Slavia 4-3 after a hard struggle.
Results of the 21st round: Vsetin-Zlin 5-1, Trinec-Jihlava 7-2,
Olomouc-Vitkovice 3-3, Pardubice-C. Budejovice 3-4, Litvinov-Slavia
9-3, Sparta-Plzen 6-2, Brno-Kladno 2-3.
The 22nd round: Slavia-Vsetin 2-1, Zlin-Sparta 4-1, C.
Budejovice-Olomouc 1-3, Kladno-Pardubice 2-1, Plzen-Trinec 6-3,
Jihlava-Brno 1-4, Vitkovice-Litvinov 4-4.
The 23rd round: Brno-Plzen 1-1, Sparta-Slavia 4-3,
Vsetin-Vitkovice 2-5, Olomouc-Pardubice 2-2, Litvinov-C. Budejovice
2-2, Jihlava-Kladno 4-4, Trinec-Zlin 2-3.
Adam Kotalik/Jan Palicka
Edited by Michael Bluhm.
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