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Carolina (English) No 205
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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 205, Friday, May 31, 1996.
FROM THE EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK (May 22-29)
PRE-ELECTION SERVICE
(Czech Parliamentary elections will take place May 31-June 1)
***
Czechs Cannot Vote Abroad
Czech citizens living abroad, or those who will be out of the
country May 31 and June 1, will not be able to vote in the elections.
According to current legislation, votes cannot be cast at Czech
embassies, by mail, or in any other way. Only the new Parliament will be
able to change this by ammending the electoral law.
Students on study visits, people traveling on business trips,
employees of foreign companies or of Czech companies with branch offices
abroad, Czechs on vacation and athletes, including the soccer team
currently in Switzerland and the hockey players in the Stanley Cup
playoffs, are all affected by this problem. Czech diplomats also find
themselves in a strange situation. Czech Foreign Ministery Spokesman
Karel Boruvka told Czech daily Lidove noviny it is up to each diplomat,
whether he will come to the Czech Republic to vote. Milan Vondracek, the
Czech Trade Counsellor in Paris, was quoted in the same story as
expressing the general opinion of those affected: "We are sorry that
roughly 1,000 citizens sent abroad by the state will not be able to vote
there."
A survey conducted by Czech daily MF DNES interviewed 20 Czech
personalities, who, with the exception of traveller Miroslav Zikmund,
all replied that yes, Czech citizens should be allowed to vote abroad.
"Sometimes they are more interested in the events of our country than
many who live here," said actress Jitka Molavcova. Author Ludvik Vaculik
answered with one sentence: "Voting rights belong to citizenship."
Katerina Zachovalova/Andrea Snyder
Voter Preference and Election Results May Differ
The Center for Empirical Research (STEM) published its last
pre-election poll May 24, showing 27.8 per cent of the Czech population
would vote for the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) and 21.8 per cent would
vote for the Czech Social Democratic Party (CSSD).
The poll, taken May 13-20, was conducted with 5,800 people, the
largest number yet polled for these questions. In comparison to STEM
results from a May 3-12 poll, ODS preference has increased by 4 per
cent, and CSSD by nearly 3 per cent.
Four years ago, voter preference was different from the election
results. A poll conducted three weeks prior to the 1992 elections showed
ODS having a 16 per cent voter preference, whereas nearly 30 per cent of
the Czech populatation voted for them.
Polls and Elections
1996 preference preference 1992 preference Election
Party May 13-20 May 3-12 Party May 11-17 Results
ODS 27.8% 24 % ODS-KDS 16% 29.7%
CSSD 21.8% 19.3% CSSD 6% 6.5%
KSCM 11 % 10.3% LB(KSCM) 10% 14.1%
KDU-CSL 10.1% 8.7% KDU-CSL 6% 6.3%
SPR-RSC 8.9% 7.1% SPR-RSC 3% 6 %
ODA 7.1% 9.1% ODA 10% 5.9%
The May 25 issue of daily Lidove noviny published reactions to the
last pre-election polls and the expectations of the important political
parties. Carolina used the newspaer's tables to prepare the summary of
parties, which have more than the 5 per cent of voter preference
neccessary for entering Parliament. ODS Chairman Vaclav Klaus was happy
with his party's representation, saying "I hope that is not the final
number. The number of our ballot is three, and I hope that our election
results will also start with a three." Even CSSD Chairman Milos Zeman
was optimistic, counting the pre-election increase in preference an
expression of the constant growth of support. Josef Lux, Christian
Democratic Union-Czechoslovak People's Party chairman, hopes "we will
yet get ahead of the communists."
Lucie Chytrackova/Andrea Snyder
Klaus and Zeman Challenge People to Support Their Parties
The heads of the two strongest political parties, Vaclav Klaus of
the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) and and Milos Zeman of the opposition
Czech Social Democratic Party (CSSD), challenged supporters of smaller
parties to give the larger parties their votes. This action, taken at
the expense of parties shown by polls as having no chance to get into
Parliament, was taken three days before elections.
Klaus specifically appealed to the feeling of responsibility of
those who support smaller parties, saying ODS is the nation's guarantor
of further progress. Zeman went as far as to say that the support of
voters favoring low-preference parties could contribute to a social
democrat victory in the elections.
Lucie Chytrackova/Andrea Snyder
Havel: No Extremists
In his last radio show before elections, President Vaclav Havel
invited Czechs to vote for parties which want to continue the
transformation process already in progress. Although he didn't mention
names, Havel warned against extremists.
Havel supports parties parties which are "rational, deliberate,
have a sense of equilibrium and do not submit to simple ideological
schemes or various types of fundamentalism," he said.
Lucie Chytrackova/Andrea Snyder
SD-LSNS Hits Elections as Party
The Free Democrats-Liberal Social National Party only needs 5 per
cent voter support to enter Parliament. The Constitutional Court in Brno
decided May 28 that the SD-LSNS ballot, which includes representatives
of the Party of Entrepreneurs, Small Businessmen and Farmers, will not
be considered a coalition ballot. Bypassing the Central Election
Committee's April and May decisions, the Constitutional Court considers
SD-LSNS to be one political party. Jiri Dienstbier, one of the SD-LSNS
co-chairmen, said "the 7 per cent barrier necessary for a coalition has
been broken through. People no longer have to fear it."
Maria Tripoliti/Andrea Snyder
Political Parties Wind Down Election Campaigns
The official election campaign finished May 29 at two o'clock pm.
According to law, it is illegal to promote any of the running parties
during the 48 hours preceeding elections.
Individual parties met last weekend, May 25-6, though more socially
than politically. Organizers tempted potential voters with election
goulash, a water show at Prague's Krizik Fountain and free tickets to
the zoo, where politicians were baptizing young animals. Christian
Democratic Union-Czechoslovak People's Party Chairman Josef Lux named
a young camel "Pepik". Interior Minister Jan Ruml became a camel patron
at the Plzen Zoo. But the first government functionaries to christen an
animal were Education Minister Ivan Pilip of the Civic Democratic Party
(ODS) and Social Democrat Chairman Milos Zeman, who christened a royal
crane.
ODS had a surprise ready for the end of their campaign. They gave
all households a small yellow and blue card with the ODS logo, a number
3, and slogans of "Go Further" and "A Decisive Step towards a Clear
Goal." The Social Democrats distributed 50,000 red and pink roses among
the women of Prague.
The first unofficial election results are expected the evening of
June 1.
Lucie Chytrackova/Andrea Snyder
Media and Political Parties
The Council of the Czech Republic for Radio and Television
Broadcasting, as the chief regulatory body in the field of broadcasting,
has commissioned the A-Connect agency to monitor the presence of
political parties in the news and current affairs programming on the
four TV channels (CT1, CT2, NOVA, Premiera) and the nationwide public
radio Radiojournal. The Civic Democratic Party (ODS) has occupied 32.6
per cent of the total broadcasting time, followed by Civic Democratic
Alliance (ODA) with 12.3 per cent, the Christian Democratic
Union-Czechoslovak People's Party (CSSD) and Czech Social Democratic
Party (CSSD), both having 10.4 per cent of given broadcasting time. The
results for other parties: Free Democrats-Liberal Social National Party
(SD-LSNS) 6.1 per cent, Left Blok (LB) 4 per cent, Communist Party of
Bohemia and Moravia (KSCM) 2.7 per cent, Czech-Moravian Union of the
Center (CMUS) 2.3 per cent and the Association for the
Republic-Czechoslovak Republican Party (SPR-RSC) 2.2 per cent.
The results were compared with voter preferences in April opinion
polls, and in this respect the most favoured parties by radio and
television, in terms of the percentage of air time versus voter
preference, were SD-LSNS (254 per cent more time than preference), Left
Blok (148 per cent), ODA (144 per cent), Retirees for the Life Security
(140 per cent) and KDU-CSL (136 per cent). The ratio which roughly
correspond to the voters preferences is in the case of the ODS (122 per
cent) and the Democratic Union DEU (94 per cent). The most underrated
parties as to media presence in comparison with voter preferences were
the far-right Republicans' SPR-RSC (33 per cent), the communists' KSCM
(34 per cent) and Social Democrats (50 per cent).
Livia Savelkova/Milan Smid
Reaction to Sudeten German Congress
Czech politicians criticized the speeches of Bavarian Prime
Minister Edmund Stoiber and federal Minister of Finance Theo Waigel at
the 47th Sudeten German Congress in Nuremberg May 25-6. Stoiber made
four demands to be included in the Czech-German declaration now being
prepared: direct dialogue between the Czech government and Sudeten
Germans, recognition of the postwar transfer as an unjustice, immediate
recognition of rights for homeland for all Sudeten Germans and
renunciation of the Benes decrees. Stoiber considers the fulfillment of
these requests a pre-condition for smooth negotiations about Czech
admission to the EU. Waigel demanded that rights be extended not only to
the generation that experienced the expulsion.
Czech Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus told Czech daily MF DNES May 27:
"I was disturbed by the words of Mr. Waigel. I would expect such
expressions from Franz Neubauer (head of the Sudeten landsmannschaft),
not from an official representative of the federal government. We do not
need Mr. Waigel to preach us the legal code. Germans are those who
should whisper about the World War II. The speech of Minister Waigel
touched me even more because they came yesterday, a week before our
elections."
Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs Josef Zieleniec, who considers
the federal government the only partner in negotiations with Germany,
also rejected Stoiber's requests.
Chairman of Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee Jiri Payne
called the requests unrealistic. Czech Social Democrats Chairman Milos
Zeman said "the Sudeten German problem was definitively solved by their
transfer" (MF DNES May 28).
Former foreign minister Jiri Dientsbier also criticized the demands
of Sudeten Germans and their connection with support of Czech admission
to the EU.
Chairman emeritus of the Left Blok Zdenek Mlynar asked the Czech
government and Ministry of Foreign Affairs to mark the words of the
representatives of the German state still before the elections as an
unfriendly act towards the Czech Republic.
Livia Savelkova/Klara Schirova
President of Slovenia Milan Kucan in Prague
Slovene President Milan Kucan, who arrived for his first official
visit of the Czech Republic in Prague May 23, believes the sale of the
Videm Krsko paper factory will not influence relations with the Czech
Republic. He said this after his meeting with Czech President Vaclav
Havel and added that the Slovene government will do everything posiible
to rectify the problem.
ICEC Holding Ostrava won the Slovinian paper factory in public
auction. The trasfer of property has not yet taken place and the Slovene
Parliament is supposed to work out the privatization of the company
(a proposal has been made to cancel the contract with ICEC).
The preseidents inaugurated May 24 at Prague Castle the exhibit
Josip Plecnik, Architect for the New Democracy. The Slovene, considered
one of Europe's greatest 20th-century architects, significantly
influenced the shape of Prague Castle during the period of T.G.
Masaryk's presidency, between the world wars.
Isar A.W./Klara Schirova
Stehlik Brings Poldi's Men to Prague
General director of Poldi Kladno steelworks Vladimir Stehlik
accused state officials of liquidating Poldi and all Czech industry, and
accused the media of being only the servants of the government
garniture. Stehlik made his declarations during the May 28 demonstration
of his employees, where between 2,000 and 3,000 people (one-third to
one-half of Poldi's employees) showed up to support Stehlik in his
struggle against the Fund of National Property.
Stehlik's hourlong tirade resounded from the balcony of the offices
of the daily Prace on Prague's Wenceslas Square (the former union
newspaper is owned by Stehlik). Stehlik announced he would vote for the
Social Democrats in the upcoming elections.
Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus said before the demonstration that the
meeting did not disturb him at all, and if Stehlik would have similar
demonstrations daily throughout the country, it would be a wonderful
thing to show how well the government was working.
Isar A.W./Klara Schirova
Court Considers Murder of Tibor Berki Racial
The Olomouc High Court May 23 increased the punishment of Zdenek
Podrazsky, murderer of Romany (gypsy) citizen Tibor Berki (see Carolina
184), from 12 to 13 years. The reason was stated in the verdict, written
by the chairman of the court: "The motive of the attack was only
Berki's different color of skin."
Another participant in the act, Martin Komarek, will stay in prison
two months longer (altogether 20 months). His words "let's get the
gypsies" provoked the whole 1995 act, during which Berki beaten to death
by a baseball bat in his house in Zdar nad Sazavou.
Katerina Zachovalova/Katerina Zachovalova
Caterpillar Invasion
With help from a crop-dusting airplane and powdered insecticide
ordered from an English company, the road maintenance service in
Prostejov tried to get rid of overpopulous butterfly caterpillars. They
were devouring pear-tree leaves along a 4-kilometer/2.4-mile stretch of
road near Urcice in the Prostejov region.
Livia Savelkova/Katerina Zachovalova
ECONOMY/BUSINESS
Exchange Rates at the Czech National Bank
(valid from May 30)
country currency
------------------------------------------
Australia 1 AUD 22.228
Belgium 100 BEF 88.610
Great Britain 1 GBP 42.840
Denmark 1 DKK 4.716
Finland 1 FIM 5.892
France 1 FRF 5.376
Ireland 1 IEP 44.009
Italy 1000 ITL 18.005
Japan 100 JPY 25.978
Canada 1 CAD 20.305
Luxemburg 100 LUF 88.610
Netherlands 1 NLG 16.275
Norway 1 NOK 4.261
New Zealand 1 NZD 19.117
Portugal 100 PTE 17.670
Austria 1 ATS 2.589
Greece 100 GRD 11.509
Slovakia 100 SKK 89.792
Germany 1 DEM 18.203
Spain 100 ESP 21.641
Sweden 1 SEK 4.113
Switzerland 1 CHF 22.179
USA 1 USD 27.874
ECU 1 XEU 34.384
SDR 1 XDR 39.993
FROM SLOVAKIA
Kovac Files Charges Against Meciar
President Michal Kovac filed charges against Premier Vladimir
Meciar May 29 for defaming the head of state. Kovac was reacting to
Meciar's May 24 comments on Slovak Broadcasting, in which the premier
said Kovac would be charged in the Technopol case if he did not have
immunity (Kovac's son has been charged in connection with the case).
Meciar and Kovac have warred for three years, but Kovac's latest
step was labeled the most contentious yet by Czech daily MF DNES'
Bratislava correspondent Karol Wolf.
Lida Truneckova/Michael Bluhm
CULTURE
Theatres Between Fences
The yearlong heavenly peace amidst the Bohnice psychiatric hospital
buildings was interrupted during the last weekend in May (May 25-6). The
NEDOMYSLENO Association for Barrier-Free Culture, in cooperation with
the Bohnice hospital, other institutions and sponsors, organized the
fifth-annual theater festival Between the Fences. The chamber atmosphere
of the first years has changed into an almost-mass festival
entertainment. The organizers' goal in establishing this kind of event
in Bohnice was mainly to bring, at least for two days, fun to the
patients and break the taboo hanging over the psychiatric hospital and
open it to the surrounding world.
Aside from theater performances from small and alternative troupes
from the whole of Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia, visitors could also see
various outdoor workshops (carving, painting, paper handcrafts) and
listen to a variety of musical groups.
Katerina Zachovalova/Katerina Zachovalova
New Antidrug Video
Slovak actor Juraj Kukura is filming a new antidrug video in
Prague. Kukura is not only its director, but in it plays a father trying
to free his daughter from drug dependency. The clip is being filmed in
the Prague Blue Light jazz club to the music of Leonard Cohen, and it
will have its premiere on Czech Television channels.
Former Chairman of the multi-ministry antidrug comission Igor Nemec
visited the filming. He called the video to be one of the tiny number of
positive activities directed against drug abuse.
Maria Tripoiti/Katerina Zachovalova
SPORT
Track and Field: World Record in Javelin Throw
Jan Zelezny set his fourth world record in the javelin throw in
Jena May 25. His third throw went a distance of 98.48 meters, meaning he
improved his last record, set in 1993 in Sheffield, by almost three
meters. The press thusly quoted the favorite for Atlanta Olympics: "You
can set the record on any day when the circumstance are favorable,
however, the Olympic gold medal or World Championship title is possible
to get only on one particular day, at a given time."
Lidia Savelkova/Milan Smid
World Cup 1996 Nomination
The names of the 22 soccer players to be members of the Czech team
for the 1996 World Cup in Britain were published May 25. The selection,
made by Coach Dusan Uhrin, is:
- goalies: Kouba (Sparta), Srnicek (Newcastle), Maier (Liberec),
- fullbacks: Kadlec (Kaiserslautern), Suchoparek (Slavia/Strasburg),
Hornak (Sparta), Kubik (Drnovice), Rada a Kotulek (both of Olomouc),
- center forwards: Nemecek (Servette Zeneva), Latal, Nemec (both of
Schalke), Poborsky, Bejbl, Novotny (all of Slavia), Berger (Dortmund),
Frydek, Nedved (both of Sparta),
- forwards: Kuka (Kaiserslautern), Drulak (Drnovice), Smicer
(Slavia/Lens), Kerbr (Olomouc).
The Czech soccer team was defeated by the Austrians 1-0 in
a warm-up match in Salzburg May 29. The goal was scored four minutes
before the game's end. The Czech soccer players will play another
preparatory game with Switzerland in Basel on June 1, and then will
eventually move on to the UK.
Jiri Trunecka/Milan Smid
WEATHER
If the old saying held true (a cold may - paradise in the fields),
we would be looking forward to record crops this year. Mornings find the
thermometer at 5 degrees Celsius/41 degrees Fahrenheit, fog is reported
and there are snowfalls in the mountains.
Lida Truneckova/Michael Bluhm
English version edited by Michael Bluhm.
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