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Carolina (English) No 201
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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 201, Friday, May 3, 1996.
FROM THE EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK (April 24 - May 1)
Political Parties' Sponsor Mystery
In the past few days, the press has been closely watching the
campaign finance statements of the active political parties and their
"secret" sposors. The ruling Civic Democratic Party (ODS) does not
identify its largest sponsors, who gave gifts of 3.75 million crowns
apiece. The ODS annual report says the gifts came from Budapest and the
island of Mauricius, the sponsors being Lajos Bacs and Radjiv M. Sinha,
respectively.
The press reported that Budapest records show Bacs died several
years ago, and Sinha, who lives on Mauricius, has distanced himself from
the financial support. ODS cannot quash suspicions that someone who
wants to conceal his identity has given them the money. "I think that
you have clearly noticed that that we have not concealed their names,
because, had we wanted to conceal them, we could have noted them as
anonymous sponsors," said ODS Chairman and Czech Prime Minister Vaclav
Klaus.
The Civic Democratic Alliance (ODA) is having the same problems:
ODA had listed TMC-Trade Management Company Ltd. from Vaduz,
Lichtenstein as having given them a sponsorship gift of 3.3 million
crowns. It was later shown that the money came from the Carribean's
Virgin Islands.
And the third governing coalition party is having such problems:
The Christian Democratic Union-Czechoslovak People's Party listed the
supplier of a 1.1-million-crown gift as Zurich bank Coutts & Company.
Political parties are required by law to provide information about
sponsors, should the financial gift exceed 100,000 crowns. However,
should the party break the law, no punishment exists.
Natasa Hajkova/Andrea Snyder
Leftists Celebrate May Day
Milos Zeman, chairman of the top opposition party, the Czech Social
Democratic Party (CSSD), and Richard Falbr, leader of the country's
largest union organization, the Czech-Moravian Union Chamber (CMKOS),
placed flowers on the memorial plaque on Prague's Shooter's Island
(Strelecky ostrov). The plaque commemorates Prague's first official May
Day celebration in 1890. They then left together, walking down National
Avenue (Narodni trida) to a CSSD meeting concerning upcoming elections,
held at the party headquarters near the Kmart department store. Even the
election bus "Zemak," which Zeman uses to travel around the country, was
present, not to mention posters and election platform brochures.
Nearly 20,000 supporters of the Communist Party of Bohemia and
Moravia (KSCM) met for Prague's largest May Day celebration. For the
first time since 1989, the communists celebrated on the Letna plain,
where traditional mass May Day rallies and military parades took place
in the past. At Letna, Milous Jakes, signing his new book Two Years as
General Secretary (1987-89), approved of KSCM Chairman Miroslav
Grebenicek's critical speech. Jakes was expelled from the Czechoslovak
Communist Party after 1989's Velvet Revolution. KSCM is a parliament
party with 10 seats and, according to them, 200,000 members, which is
far more than claimed by any other party. The Christian Democratic
Union-Czechoslovak People's Party places second with 80,000 members.
Pre-election polls indicate KSCM has a good chance of being represented
in the next Parliament.
The Left Blok (LB) invited its followers to a musical performance
of Dvorak and Vangelis at Krizik Fountain at Prague's Fairgrounds. The
Left Blok, which splintered off from the KSCM in 1993, has the third
strongest parliamentary club with 23 members, but has low party
membership. Voter preference for the Left Blok is around 5 per cent.
Television news showed the Brno KSCM meeting and the Party of
Czechoslovak Communists meeting in Usti nad Labem, led by Chairman and
pre-1989 high functionary Mirolav Stepan. His party was created last
spring, and registered this year for the elections, but refused to put
up the required collateral. (see story in Pre-Election Service).
Four hundred anarchists marched from Shooter's Island to the center
of Prague May 1 with the slogan Against Capitalism, For Freedom and
Self-Rule. This year the march was without incident.
Lida Truneckova/Andrea Snyder
PRE-ELECTION SERVICE
(Czech Parliament elections will take place May 31-June 1)
***
Voter Preference Grows for Opposition Social Democrats
The opposition Czech Social Democratic Party has recently gained
5 per cent more voter support, acccording to research published by the
Factum Agency in Czech daily MF DNES April 25.Support, on the other
hand, fell away from the governing coalition's two minority parties
- the Civic Democratic Alliance and the Christian Democratic
Union-Czechoslovak People's Party. Their loss pushed the quasi-fascist
Republicans (Association for the Republic-Republican Party of
Czechoslovakia) into third place, though their numerical voter
preference did not rise. First place, however, still belongs to
governing-coalition leader the Civic Democratic Party, with 27 per cent
support, second are the Social Democrats with 20 per cent and the
Republicans record 8.1 per cent, the Christian Democrats 6.8 per cent
and the Civic Democratic Alliance 5.9 per cent (results of polls
conducted by the Institute for Public Opinion Research and the Center
for Empirical Research are in Carolina 200).
Adam Kotalik/Petra Sevcikova
Social Democratic Candidates Gain in Popularity Rankings
The most popular politician in the Czech Republic remains Minister
of Trade of Industry and Civic Democratic Alliance (ODA) Vice-Chairman
Vladimir Dlouhy, with 70 per cent of the public's support (71 per cent
in March). Second place, with 64 per cent, was taken by Minister of
Foreign Affairs Josef Zieleniec, who is Vice-Chairman of the ruling
Civic Democratic Party (ODS) (65 per cent in March). Third place belongs
for the first time to Vice-Chairwoman of the opposition Czech Social
Democratic Party (CSSD) and Parliament deputy Petra Buzkova (60 per
cent), according to April research done by the Center for Empirical
Research (59 per cent in March).
CSSD Chairman Milos Zeman minimally increased his popularity (to
55 per cent, from 54 per cent in March), though he moved into fourth
place. In fifth place and down 4 per cent from march is ODA Chairman and
Vice-Prime Minister Jan Kalvoda (55 per cent in April). The greatest
loss was suffered by Jiri Dienstbier, now in sixth place, who served as
foreign minister after November 1989 and is today co-Chairman of the
Free Democrats-Liberal National Social Party (from 61 in March to 55 per
cent in April). Next on the charts: Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus (ODS,
52 per cent, down 1 per cent); Finance Minister Ivan Kocarnik (ODS),
Agriculture Josef Lux (KDU-CSL chairman), both at 52 per cent and down
4 per cent. In 10th place is the Health Minister Jan Strasky (ODS, 46
per cent, down 1 per cent), 11th is Interior Minister Jan Ruml (ODS, 43
per cent, up 1 per cent), 12th place fell to 26-year-old CSSD
Parliamentary Club Chairman Stanislav Gross (37 per cent), whose name
was placed in the poll for the first time. The research was done among
1,443 citizens older than 18.
Ondra Trunecka/Petra Sevcikova
SD-LSNS Is Coalition, According to Central Election Commission
The Central Election Commission (UVK) decided April 27 the Free
Democrats-Liberal National Social Party (SD-LSNS) will into elections as
a coalition (with the Party of Entrepreneurs, Tradesman and Farmers of
Rudolf Baranek). Of the commission's 36 members, 20 voted for coalition.
SD-LSNS probably thus lost any real chance to get into Parliament,
because they must get 7 per cent support as a coalition instead of the
5 per cent needed for parties. According to election polls showing to
2 per cent to 2.5 per cent support, success is not likely.
UVK had decided April 11 that SD-LSNS is not a coalition. The
change of opinion is based on the fact that information about the
agreement between Baranek's party and SD-LSNS agreement appeared later.
According to the agreement, Baranek's party was oblidged to pay more
than 8 million crowns to be listed on SD-LSNS ballots. Czech daily MF
DNES pointed out that intitial information about the agreement appeared
April 11. SD-LSNS appealed the UVK decision and asked for the support of
other parties' leaders to revoke this decision and discuss the issue
again. The party is preparing a protest for the Supreme Court.
Lucie Dvorakova/Katerina Zachovalova
Small Parties without Election Collateral
The obligatory election collateral of 200,000 crowns for each
electoral district (eight in the Czech Republic) was fulfilled by 14
political parties in Bohemia and 16 in Moravia. Twenty parties are
registered. The Green party, the Party of Czechoslovak Communists and
the Nationwide Citizens' Union have not paid at all and the Right Blok
only paid 5,500 crowns by the deadline.
These parties may participate in the pre-election campaign but they
will not have ballots printed. Information on the size of the paper and
lettering is secret so the parties can not print these cards themselves.
Petra Mrzena/Petra Sevcikova
Social Democrat Deputy Rezac Shot
48-year-old Parliament deputy Vladimir Rezac was found April 29 in
his Jablonec nad Nisou flat dead of a gunshot wound. He had figured in
second place on the northern Moravian ballot of the Czech Social
Democratic Party (CSSD). According to the autopsy and police
investigation, Rezac committed suicide. He had shot himself directly in
the heart with a legally owned rifle - he was a hunter. The motive
remains unknown.
Rezac, an attorney by profession, had attended the last meeting of
Parliament. The press cited his phenomenal ability to flawlessly recite
laws by heart. He was respected in Parliament as a member of the Arms
and Security Committee.
Jaroslav Basta, a fellow party member, says that suicide is
unlikely; CSSD Chairman Milos Zeman rejects any second-guessing.
Lida Truneckova/Andrea Snyder
Reaction to Defeat of Border Amendment
Parliament did not approve April 24 the constitutional amendment
redrawing the border with Slovakia, although the day before the signed
border treaty was approved (see Carolina 200). The change would not mean
any complication for the countries' citizens, whose identification card
will still suffice to cross the border.
The amendment was not passed because it was not supported by
opposition political parties. They pointed out that Czech citizens from
the Moravian village U Sabotu, which would become part of Slovakia, did
not agree with the bill. "The government gave preference to the border
stones, not the poeple", declared Left blok Chairman Jaroslav Ortman.
Chairman of the Foreign Committee of the Czech Parliament Jiri
Payne (Civic Democratic Party) expressed fears that voting down the
amendment will mean the loss of Czech prestige abroad.
The next border debates will occur in the next Parliament.
Natasa Hajkova/Jitka Hejtmanova
Czech Students Abroad Will Get Public Support
The right to public support (including transportation allowance)
will also belong to Czech students of foreign secondary schools and
universities. According to the amended state social support law, which
Parliament approved April 25, these students will receive the same
welfare payments as independent children. See Carolina 191, 193 and 194
for more information.
Jitka Hejtmanova
Severance Pay Only for Exiting Politicians
Parliament deputies and ministers who filled their positions for
four years and will not return to them after elections will receive at
the end of their terms a severance pay worth five months' salary. They
will receive it, however, three months after the termination of their
positions. Three months is the period for the barring of parallel
payment of salary and severance pay. The amendment was approved in
Parliament April 26, correcting a mistake in the law which had allowed
for a person to receive a salary (i.e., maintain his function) and
severance pay at the same time.
Officials whose position is established by the constitution, will
receive much higher salaries this year. The only person to receive the
same salary will be the president, at 112,400 crowns monthly. Members of
Parliament will have an increase from 17,000 crowns to 31,000 crowns per
month, while the prime minister, the heads of the Senate and Parliament
will make 90,500 crowns per month, as opposed to the the 49,300 crowns
they make now. Ministers' salaries will increase from 32,300 to 59,300
crowns per month. The average salary in the Czech Republic for 1995 was
8,200 crowns per month.
Lucie Dvorakova/Andrea Snyder
Small Shareholders Better Protected
Parliament April 25 unanimously approved the amended commercial
code, which should improve protection for small shareholders. The
amended code gurantees minority shareholders the possibility to sell
their stock in corporations for a guaranteed price once someone gains
a 50 per cent share of the corporation. The majority owner will have to
offer the buyout at the stock's average price in the previous six
months.
The amended code also includes changes in the area of
responsibilities for larger shareholders, e.g., to inform the securities
Registry upon reaching a 10-per-cent shareholding in a company. The
amendments were presented by Tomas Jezek (a member of the ruling Civic
Democratic Party), who was often criticized years ago as chairman of the
National Property Fund, and now receives praise as the new head of the
Prague Stock Exchange.
Petr Mrzena/Petra Sevcikova
Five Tons of Onions in Front of Agriculture Ministry
On the morning of April 25, the space in front of the Ministry of
Agriculture was filled by five tons of unmarketable onions. Farmers
supported by Czech-Moravian Union of the Center (CMUS) were thusly
protesting Parliament's ignoring the prepared agriculture law at its
last session in the pre-election period.
According to CMUS Vice-Chairman and Parliament deputy Jan Krycer,
it was mainly a protest of growers from the Nymburk region, who were
representing the interests of the entire fruit- and vegetable-growers'
union. The union has big problems with selling onions; according to
recent information, about 18,000 tons of onions are ready for compost.
Czech farmers offer onions for about 4 crowns per kilo, but they have
big competition - onions from Holland are sold at about 3 crowns per
kilo, and Slovak onions go for 2 crowns per kilo.
CMUS deputies Jan Jegla, Jaroslav Sykora, Josef Krizek negotiated
with Deputy Minister of Agriculture Karel Burda April 25, and the
ministry promised further negotiations about the farmer's problems,
Sykora said.
Lucie Dvorakova/Jitka Hejtmanova
FROM SLOVAKIA
Slovakia Has Best Estimates
Slovakia's GDP is supposed to increase by 6 per cent this year, and
is to have an inflation rate of 7 per cent, the lowest of the central
and eastern European countries, as reported in Czech daily Pravo from
the results of the estimates of six leading German insitutes.
Poland should come in second in the GDP growth race, at 5.5 per
cent, and the Czech Republic third with 4.5 per cent. The Czech Republic
has an 8 per cent inflation rate.
The Czech Republic has the lowest unemployment rate of central and
eastern European countries, with 3.5 percent (the second-lowest in
Europe after Luxemburg), while other countries in the region should have
a rate of 10 to 14 per cent.
Lida Truneckova/Andrea Snyder
Party of the Democratic Left Has New Boss
As of April 27, Slovak Ambassador to the Ukraine Jozef Migas is
chairman of the Party of the Democratic Left (SDL'). The press calls
Migas's new appointment a compromise between the party's fractions. The
inter-party conflict derives from the the issue of whether to join the
governing coalition of Slovak Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar's Movement
for a Democratic Slovakia.
Peter Weiss, who had lead SDL' from its creation, announced last
fall that he does not plan on running at the top of the party's ballot.
At the recent SDL' meeting in Nitra, he was appointed chairman for
foreign policy.
SDL' supports Slovakia joining the EU and NATO with the condition
that the citizens of the country will decide to join or not.
Lida Truneckova/Andrea Snyder
ECONOMY
Exchange Rates at the Czech National Bank
(valid from May 3)
country currency
------------------------------------------
Australia 1 AUD 22.089
Belgium 100 BEF 88.226
Great Britain 1 GBP 41.597
Denmark 1 DKK 4.706
Finland 1 FIM 5.760
France 1 FRF 5.372
Ireland 1 IEP 43.149
Italy 1000 ITL 17.798
Japan 100 JPY 26.420
Canada 1 CAD 20.462
Luxemburg 100 LUF 88.226
Netherlands 1 NLG 16.222
Norway 1 NOK 4.223
New Zealand 1 NZD 19.114
Portugal 100 PTE 17.679
Austria 1 ATS 2.579
Greece 100 GRD 11.393
Slovakia 100 SKK 90.120
Germany 1 DEM 18.145
Spain 100 ESP 21.813
Sweden 1 SEK 4.074
Switzerland 1 CHF 22.310
USA 1 USD 27.800
ECU 1 XEU 34.104
SDR 1 XDR 40.189
CULTURE
Bohumil Hrabal Cancels Contract Allowing Jiri Menzel to Film Novel
Octogenarian writer Bohumil Hrabal signed a new contract on the use
of his novel I Served the King of England (Obsluhoval jsem anglickeho
krale) with Fronda Film April 19. According to the new contract, the
only person who can make a film based on the book is director Karel
Kachyna, who has Fany and The Cow (Krava) among his credits. Hrabal also
canceled his contract with Sirotek Studios and asked the company "to
stop any kind of meetings leading to the filming of his novel."
The film companies' argument lasted several months - since Hrabal
signed contracts with both of them. The situation cleared up with the
aforementioned legal action, but problems still exist, because Sirotek
Studio representatives consider the cancelation unreasonable and not
binding.
Menzel, who would direct the film for Sirotek, has adapted a number
of Hrabal's works for the screen, most notably Closely Watched Trains
(Ostre sledovane vlaky), which won the 1968 Foreign Film Oscar.
Petr Mrzena/Katerina Zachovalova
Miss Congenialty Exchanges Russian Car for Toyota
Flourishes of applause in Pilsen (Plzen) sounded most often for
19-year-old model Zdenka Zdrazilova from Jindrichuv Hradec during this
year's Miss Czech Republic contest (see Carolina 200.) Besides the title
of second vice-miss, she was awarded the Miss Congeniality Prize in
a landslide, and new Toyota Carina car together with the prize.
Spectators also honored her with the Pilsen Audience Award.
As she revealed in her short interview for Carolina, she became
a model only from necessity, because she could not find work she would
have enjoyed, after finishing high school. So she earned some money by
modeling; this does not mean, though, that she does not like the job
- on the contrary, she would like to dedicate it fully a year or two.
She most often wears jeans and leather, two materials she could have on
herself all the time, she said.
She eats the traditional Czech pork, cabbage and dumplings, fast
driving is among her favorite hobbies, which she will have a chance to
experience more in her new Toyota than in the 30-year-old Muscovite
(Moskvic) she received for graduation from her father. Race motorcycles
impress her more than fast cars and she can not take her eyes off
Milwaukee's Harley Davidsons.
Adam Kotalik, David Sprincl/Klara Schirova
SPORT
Czechs Fight to Hockey World Championships Semifinal
Czech hockey players continued their fabulous World Championships
showing in Vienna, and masterfully won the B group, going undefeated and
surrendering a point only to Norway (2:2).
The Czech team calmly beat France 9:2 April 27, when success was
led by the Kladno offense of Vejvoda-Patera-Prochazka with four goals.
The following day the Czechs took care of the tenacious Italians 9:5.
CR-Francie 9:2 (2:1,6:0,1:1) Vejvoda, Patera 2, Kaberle, Kucera,
Reichel, Dopita, Kysela - Dube, Rozenthal.
CR-Italie 9:5 (2:1,3:2,4:2) Reichel 2, Meluzin, Lang, Kysela,
Kucera, Belohlav, Vyborny, Bonk - Bartolone 2, Topatigh, Chitarroni,
Ramoser.
After deadline:
The Czech Republic beat Germany 6:1 (2:0, 1:0, 3:1) in the
quarterfinal May 1. The Germans scored their first goal when the score
was already 5:0. Scorers: Vyborny, Reichel, Dopita, Meluzin, Bonk,
Neckar - Kuhnhauser. The Czech representatives will meet the US team in
the May 3 semifinal, Russia and Canada are the second semifinal pair.
Last year's finalists (Sweden and Finland) are out of the tournament.
Adam Kotalik/Klara Schirova
Soccer: Slavia Already Champion after 27 Rounds
The poor performance of the Sparta team, which won only four games
in the last 10 rounds of the Czech soccer league (2 draws, 4 defeats),
led the Sparta management to offer free passes to all Sparta matches in
Prague till the end of season. After that, not only the Sparta
management, but also Sparta players tried to repair their tarnished
image with fans. Sparta improved its performance and defeated Viktoria
Zizkov and Union Cheb. In spite of its defeat in Drnovice (0-3), Slavia
has ensured itself the league championship (its first since 1947) by the
27th round, due to the unexpected victory of last-place Uherske Hradiste
over second-place Olomouc.
Results of the 26th round: Hradec Kralove - Drnovice 1-0, Brno
- Cheb 2-0, Slavia - Ostrava 2-0, Liberec - Uherske Hradiste 4-0,
Olomouc - Ceske Budejovice 4-0, Zlin - Plzen 1-0, Opava - Jablonec 0-1,
Zizkov - Sparta 1-4.
Make-up from 22nd round: Slavia - Jablonec 2-1.
Results of the 27th round: Drnovice - Slavia 3-0, Uherske Hradiste
- Olomouc 2-1, Sparta - Cheb 3-0, Ostrava - Liberec 1-0, Hradec Kralove
- Brno 1-0, Plzen - Opava 2-1, Jablonec - Zizkov 5-0, Ceske Budejovice
- Zlin 2-0.
Standings after 27 rounds (2 matches still unplayed): 1. Slavia
61; 2. Olomouc 52; 3. Jablonec 50; 4. Drnovice 48; 5. Sparta 46; 6.
Opava 37; 7. Liberec 37 (-1); 8. Plzen 36 (-1); 9. Ceske Budejovice 35;
10. Boby Brno 34 (-1); 11. Ostrava 32 (-1); 12. Viktoria Zizkov 32; 13.
Cheb 29; 14. Hradec Kralove 28; 15. Zlin 21; 16. Uherske Hradiste 16.
David Sprincl/Milan Smid
WEATHER
After all the excesses and record vicissitudes, last week's weather
finally corresponded to the calendar - April. Mornings were cooler
(around 10 degrees Celsius/36 degrees Fahrenheit), and the temperature
reached pleasant 20 degrees Celsius/54 degrees Fahrenheit during the
day. The sun shone, the wind blew and it rained. All in moderation.
Lida Truneckova/Klara Schirova
English version edited by Michael Bluhm
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