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Carolina (English) No 233
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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 233, Friday, February 7, 1997.
FROM THE EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK (January 15-22)
Strike on Czech Rails
On February 4, two hours after midnight, all service on by Czech
Railway came to a halt. This was the start of a 48-hour strike called by
the Trade Union Association of Railway Workers (OSZ). According to the
OSZ, the main reason for the strike is not salaries, but concerns about
the future of the railway, which, according to union officials, is in
a critical state. It was mentioned in the press that since 1990 the
union has struck twice, in October 1991 and May 1993. Both times an
hourlong warning strike was used to back union demands for an overall
state transport policy, as well as for a pay raise.
In September union chief Jaromir Dusek first brought up the matter
of an impending full or partial work stoppage at Czech Railways as
a result of its poor technical condition. The OSZ subsequently accused
the management of Czech Railways (CD) of incompetence and poor
management of rail assets. CD management responded with a study of the
state of the railway system, which neither the union officials nor the
supervisory board found to be satisfactory, and for that reason the
Ministry of Transportation become involved in drafting it. In January
discussions took place between the OSZ and the Ministry, but, said Dusek
without any kind of results.
Union officials put forward several demands to be met for the
48-hour strike to end. Emphasis was placed on replacement of CD
management and an end to inefficient use of rail assets. They are also
demanding that disciplinary action not be taken against strikers and
that a draft transport policy be drawn up which would bring the system
up to the standard of EU countries. Because Minister Martin Riman (Civic
Democratic Party) refuses to satisfy the demands of the union and
negotiations up to now have broken down, on February 5 the union
announced the strike would be extended by a further 24 hours. This move
was repeated February 6.
Even though the feared collapse in passenger transport did not
materialize, because buses mostly managed to replace the trains, there
is a threat to the operation of several key sectors such as the chemical
industry, heating and power plants and ore processing.
German Parliament Approves Czech-German Declaration
The German Parliament approved the German-Czech Declaration on
mutual relations and future development, as signed January 27 by German
Federal Chancellor Helmut Kohl, German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel,
Czech Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus and Czech Foreign Minister Josef
Zieleniec. Of the 621 present, 578 voted for.
German Parliament members, with 276 votes, approved the accompanying
text proposed by the Social Democratic opposition (read more on Czech
Social Democrat leader Milos Zeman's earlier visit to Bonn to promote
the bill in Carolina 232).
Czech President Vaclav Havel welcomed the text and says that he
believes that both houses of the Czech Parliament will approve it. He
sees approval of the attachment to be of less importance. Klaus and
Zieleniec were pleased as well. Zeman supported the German Social
Democrats' gesture of solidarity.
The Czech Parliament is to review the Czech-German Declaration at
its upcoming February meeting, despite the Communists' proposal to
remove this point from the program. Eighty-eight of the 189 members
present voted against it. Twenty-two members of the Communist Party and
18 neo-fascist Republicans hold seats in Parliament.
Parliament Committee for BIS Investigation Dismisses Accusations
The Parliament Committee for Control of the Security and Information
Service (BIS) dismissed Social Democrat Chairman Milos Zeman's
suspicions of illegal collaboration between the secret police and the
Czech Interior Ministry in following politicians. Zeman, also chairman
of Parliament, presented the accusations before the November Senate
elections. At the time, the BIS affair resulted in the resignation of
former provisional BIS director Stanislav Devaty (see Carolina 223,
224, 230 and 231).
The Committee examined roughly 50 pages submitted by Zeman, and
questioned several witnesses. Jaroslav Basta of the Social Democrats
headed the committee. "The Committee agreed that most of the documents
are spurious and a few of them are authentic documents on legal
activities of the Interior Ministry and BIS," he said, adding "the BIS
Act was not broken."
The public called for Zeman to take political responsibility and at
least to apologize. Zeman responded at a press conference January 31 by
saying that if the Social Democrats were found to be the source of the
the documentation, he would not only apologize, but would also have to
resign from public office. He admitted that he had been the victim of
provocation.
Parliament Vice-Chairman Jiri Honajzer of the ruling Civic
Democratic Party (ODS) said that Zeman could have at least apologized to
the citizens of the country, who were harmed by his statements. ODS
spokeswoman Jana Petrova says Zeman is embarrassing Parliament with his
behavior and the artificially created BIS affair.
President Vaclav Havel said on his weekly radio program that he does
not consider Zeman's statement that the Czech Republic was becoming
a police state sufficient reason for resignation.
Havel Criticized for Pardon
When Czech President Vaclav Havel granted a pardon to Martin
Odlozil, who had been sentenced to four years in prison for causing the
death of his father (see Carolina 232), he became the object of sharp
criticism. In his weekly radio program Talks from Lany, he said "I knew
that I would reap indignation, but in this decision, I cannot take into
account the expected reactions of commentators or even polls done on the
street."
Odlozil is the son of many-time Olympic gold medalist Vera
Caslavska. Eva Kanturkova, author and Charter 77 signatory, wrote in an
open letter to Eva Odlozilova, who married Josef Odlozil after his
divorce from Vera Caslavska, that Havel's pardon was unsubstantiated.
"There should be a clear line dividing what is and is not allowed, what
deserves sympathy and what deserves judgment," she wrote. Other Charter
77 members signed a petition protesting Martin Odlozil's imprisonment.
Jaroslav Lieskovan was sentenced to three months for the role he
palyed in the conflict. His mother wants to request a presidential
pardon as well.
TV NOVA Affair Raises Discussions
The private television station TV NOVA began its fourth year of
existence February 4. The media have paid a great deal of attention to
discussions about planned transactions among TV NOVA's owners and its
broadcasting schedule.
The majority of NOVA's schedule is made up of foreign (mostly
American) serials, while the station got its broadcasting license
because of a project which promised many cultural, educational and
current affairs programs. Experts say the original plan would lead
a commercial station to bankruptcy.
Together with breaking of the license conditions, critics attack the
company's unclear ownership structure. The Broadcasting Council filed
a protest last year against Vladimir Zelezny, the director of Nova TV,
who wanted to buy all the shares of Nova from domestic founders, using
money from a foreign investor. Zelezny has his own program where he
answers questions from viewers, although he also influences public
opinion to his advantage.
NOVA, owing to its dominant place on the advertising market, has an
annual net profit of about 2 billions crowns. Almost all the profit goes
abroad, specifically to the multinational Central European Media
Enterprises (CME). CME is said to use this money for similar projects in
other postcommunist countries, like its TV Markiza in Slovakia.
Republican Desperado Arrested At Sladek's Parliament Office
Lubomir Votava, a fugitive sought throughout the country, was taken
into police custody January 30 after a raid by police at Parliament. He
had been hiding in neo-fascist Republican Party Chairman Miroslav
Sladek's office.
Police had tried to arrest Votava there before but Republican
deputies of Parliament insisted Votava, an assistant to Sladek, was not
there and never let them enter. Then police observed the building for
10 days before they decided to attack the locked room again.
Votava was arrested at 6 a.m., asleep when police entered the room
and he put up no resistance. Votava was in his underwear. Votava is
accused of assaulting a TV reporter during a Republican demonstration.
The Republicans who hid him will probably be prosecuted.
The Association for the Republic-Republican Party of Czechoslovakia
(SPR-RSC) is a small party leaning to extreme nationalism and racism. In
polls it is supported by about 5 per cent of Czech people.
Josef Svejcar Died
Founding father of Czech pediatrics Josef Svejcar died in Prague's
Motol Hospital at the age of 99.
Thanks to him, the Pediatrics Faculty at Charles University was
founded, as well as the Research Institute of Children's Evolution,
where he was appointed the first director. Svejcar authored more than
320 publications, textbooks and articles. He was the first to introduce
dried milk into the newborn's menu, later he supported natural
childbirth and close cooperation with the father of baby. His research
activity was closely connected to his education career.
NEWS IN BRIEF
* "I do not think Europe will be all rosy in 2007," Czech Prime
Minister Vaclav Klaus said at the World Economic Forum in Davos last
weekend. Expansion of the European Union is a natural process which
should not be artificially quickened, he said. On February 3 the daily
Pravo published an interview in which Klaus explained his opinion.
According to him, Europe should not try to become a superpower.
Individual multinational companies should be competitive, not Europe as
a whole, he said.
* President Vaclav Havel's second wife Dagmar (they married January
4) announced while visiting Masaryk Oncology Clinic in Brno that she
intends to help people treated for cancer. Several weeks ago she stood
close by Havel when he had lung surgery to remove a tumor. Her sister
also suffered from cancer.
* Popular artist and former President of the Prague Academy of Fine
Arts Milan Knizak was given an offer to become the head of a similar
school in Brno. Recently he had to give up his Academy office under
university rules which do not allow anyone to occupy the post for more
than two successive terms. He said in January he was planning to work at
the Academy as a teacher. He has not responded to the offer from Brno.
FROM SLOVAKIA
Slansky Seeks Residence in Bratislava
New Czech ambassador to Slovakia Rudolf Slansky asked for
cooperation in seeking a fitting Czech residence building, during his
official visit with Bratislava's mayor.
The Czech side is interested in the downtown area or the area
surrounding the Castle near Muronovej street. The purchase of a building
where City University is located is being negotiated. Mayor Kresanek has
virtually excluded the possibility of buying property in the historical
part of the city, also due to increasing traffic (the majority of
embassies are in this area).
Language Act Causing Trouble in Schools
The Language Act, which came into force January 1, does not allow
for minority languages in public offices. As a result, the most
problematic area has become education, especially in schools where
Hungarian is the main teaching language.
In southern Slovakia, where the majority of such schools lie, it
has been the custom to issue report cards in both languages since 1921.
That did not happen this year, and teachers received forms only in
Slovak. Most students refused to accept their report cards; only 12
students of 242 from Samorin High School accepted them.
The Ministry of Education put out a "standpoint on the language
problem of report cards," where they say issuing report cards in Slovak
does not contradict minority rights and is in agreement with the
Constitution of the Slovak Republic. Students' parents have a different
opinion - they claim the Language Act says documentation must be in the
state language, but it does not prohibit bilingual records.
Railway Workers' Strike Affects Slovak Traffic
The strike at Czech Railways also reached neighboring countries
- particularly Slovakia. The biggest problem was the lack of
information. Stationmasters at the largest Slovak stops could not warn
their customers. And that despite the fact that thousands of Slovaks
travel daily to jobs in the Czech Republic, most of them by trains.
The first train returned by Czech Railway employees to Slovakia was
the Dukla international express (Moscow - Prague). It had stopped at the
Puchov border station shortly after midnight. Another express train, the
Excelsior, left Kosice in eastern Slovakia for Frantiskovy Lazne in
western Bohemia. It made it only to Pardubice, where it was stopped with
all of its 160 passengers at 2 a.m. They were informed about the strike
at midnight in the Czech town of Olomouc. Passengers who decided to
return to the station of their departure could do so at Slovak Railways'
expense.
Trains from Poland to Austria and Hungary which usual pass through
the Czech Republic are crossing Slovakia now. Problems were also
recorded on the so-called first corridor of Berlin-Prague-Vienna (and
Budapest), because Czechs refused to take care of Eurocity luxury
trains. As a result, one of the main routes in Slovakia, leading from
the Czech-Slovak border in Kuty to Sturovo, is almost empty.
Bank Privatization Causes Conflicts in Parliament
The Slovak Workers' Association (ZRS), a governing coalition party,
criticized its fellow coalition member the Movement for a Democratic
Slovakia (HZDS) for trying quickly to privatize the biggest banking
institutions. They said they will never give their agreement.
The government coalition has thus returned to a state of conflict,
comparable to that of the summer. In the summer, HZDS forced
representatives of the other two coalition parties, the Slovak National
Party and ZRS, from the management of the Investment and Development
Bank. Experts expect a continuation of the conflict, with HZDS having as
usual the final word. HZDS representatives say quick privatization is
part of Slovakia's attempt to join the OECD.
NEWS IN BRIEF
- The Slovak government recalled Finance Minister Jozef Magula. He
carries responsibility for the bankruptcies of the First Slovak
Investment and Privatization Company.
- Foreign Minister Pavol Hamzik continues to ask his German counterpart,
Klaus Kinkel, for a meeting to discuss compensation for Slovak victims
of Nazism.
- President Michal Kovac named eight new rectors to university posts in
Bratislava January 31.
- The Collegium musicum ensemble played a special concert January 30 in
Bratislava.
Exchange Rates at the Czech National Bank
(valid from January 31)
country currency
------------------------------------------
Great Britain 1 GBP 45.465
France 1 FRF 4.980
Japan 100 JPY 22.422
Canada 1 CAD 20.610
Austria 1 ATS 2.390
Slovakia 100 SKK 86.019
Germany 1 DEM 16.812
Switzerland 1 CHF 19.460
USA 1 USD 27.756
ECU 1 XEU 32.676
IMF 1 XDR 38.581
CULTURE
Bohumil Hrabal Tragically Dies
Czech novelist Bohumil Hrabal, 82, died February 2 when he
accidentally fell out a window at Prague's Bulovka Hospital, where he
had been hospitalized for orthopedic problems. He wanted to feed the
pigeons on a ledge outside the window so he climbed onto a table, but
then lost his balance. He fell from the fifth floor and died
immediately, although doctors tried to resuscitate him.
Hrabal's novels, such as Too Loud a Solitude, I Served The King Of
England or Closely Watched Trains, are known worldwide. A film by Jiri
Menzel based on Closely Watched Trains was awarded the 1968 Oscar for
best foreign film. Hrabal's works are inimitable for their poetic
language and the author's take on the life of ordinary people.
President Vaclav Havel, Czech novelist Milan Kundera, director Jiri
Menzel and many more other personalities manifested their grief in
media. Though he was 82, Hrabal had still been a regular at the Prague
pub U Zlateho Tygra, which had become a place of pilgrimage for many
Hrabal fans. Beer had an irreplaceable role in his books.
Czech Gramy Nominations Announced
The Council of the Czech Academy of Popular Music made public the
1996 Czech Gramy nominations in 16 categories January 31. The best
chance for an award belongs to the Ostrava group Buty, nominated in four
categories. Three nominations were given to singers Vladimir Misik,
Monika Naceva, and to the bands Colorfactory, Chaozz, Lucie, and
Wanastowy vjecy.
The Academy changed its statute to approximate its structure to
foreign models, like the American Grammy Awards or the British Brit
Awards. Academy Chairman Karel Knechtl said in the daily Lidove noviny
February 1: "It is not possible to award a Gramy to the popular and
posthumous just because of certain immortal merits." One of the new
essential rules states that only those personalities who released a new
album during the most recent last period (for 1996 from August 1995 to
November 1996) are eligible to be nominated. The exceptions are in
categories Discovery of the Year and Dance Music, where a single will
do. Another change pertains to the eight main categories, among them
Singer of the Year, Band of the Year, and CD of the year, where no
limits as to genres are set.
The 1996 Czech Gramy will be awarded at a gala performance in
Lucerna March 8 in the presence of Czech Television and Czech Radio.
SPORT
After 40 Rounds Vsetin Still Leads Hockey Extraleague
In Extraleague matches played January 30, Plzen defeated Opava 3-2,
Ceske Budejovice Zlin 5-3 and Sparta Praha tied Trinec 5-5. Slavia Praha
prepared the biggest January 31 surprise for Litvinov, defeating them
9-2 in their own stadium. The last three results: Vitkovice - Kladno
5-2, Vsetin - Olomouc 6-3, Jihlava - Pardubice 3-6. On February 1,
Sparta Praha won a postponed match against Plzen 4-1.
Vsetin (57 points) leads the standings ahead of Sparta Praha (50)
and Vitkovice (48), while at the bottom languish Olomouc, Plzen (both
34) and Jihlava (30), ahead of last-place Opava (21).
Skuhravy Ends Soccer Career
The results of last week's medical examination determined that
soccer forward Tomas Skuhravy will have to end his career. Troubles with
his right knee began two years ago, when he had cartilage removed.
Skuhravy was the Czechoslovak team star in the 1990 World Cup in
Italy, when he was the championships' second best scorer and helped the
team to the quarterfinals. Then he left Sparta Praha for FC Genoa in
Italy, where he alternated great moments with problems. In the last few
last years he had problems with injuries and did not play either for his
country or on any good league teams (his clubs included Sporting Lisbon
and Slavia Praha). At the beginning of this year he began to train with
Viktoria Zizkov, and team managment announced Skuhravy was ready to
enter the league.
Czech Cyclocross Blowout in World Championships
With no medal and ninth place as the team's best result, Czech
cyclocrossers' start in the world championships in Munich was something
of a fiasco. They could not cope with a fast, icy and technically
extremely hard circuit and their troubles often ended with falls.
The trainers expected a medal from the under-23 race, but the best
athlete, Mlynar, finished ninth. Daniel Dite finished the juniors' race
11th February 2 after being first for a hopeful while. The Elite
category race finished similarly: Radomir Simunek, three-time world
champion among juniors, amateurs and professionals, fell near the start
and finished 12th, Lukes was 22nd and Pospisil withdrew after his fall.
SPORTS IN BRIEF
* The West team defeated the East team 10-7 in the hockey Extraleague
All-Star Game played February 2 in Liberec.
* After a home win over Turkey, the Czech women's handball team tied
its world championships qualification return match with the same
opponent in Adana.
* Petr Korbel, fourth in the Atlanta Olympics, withdrew from the TOP
12 table-tennis tournament in Eindhoven, Netherlands because of injury.
* Slovak Karina Habsudova won the women's Nokia Cup tennis tournament
in Prostejov.
* Two golds and three bronzes were the result of the Czech academic
team in the University Games in Mudju, Japan.
WEATHER
After two weeks of thaw during which snow and melting ice was
falling from roofs and onto cars and heads, last week winter temporarily
struck again. The mercury fell below zero and it didn't look like it
would want to climb back up for the next few days. The mercury lazily
hung out at -3 degrees Celsius/27 degrees Fahrenheit, which didn't
surprise many, because everyone is lazy by nature, even mercury. It
would be nice now to get a bit more snow so skiing in the mountains
would be possible.
CREDITS
Domestic news was translated by Andy Faust, Andrea Snyder, Jan Majer
and Magdalena Vanova. News from Slovakia was translated by Snyder and
Katerina Zachovalova, Culture by Majer and Milan Smid, and Sports were
translated by Mirek Langer. Faust also translated the weather. Edited by
Michael Bluhm.
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ANNOUNCING: The International Study Program of the Faculty of Social
Sciences. Beginning in February 1997, a one-semester English-language
program will be offered twice a year in Central and Eastern European
Studies, with a selection of courses in modern history and recent
political and economic developments in the region. Some courses are also
available in German. For further information contact Cyril Simsa at:
E-mail-- svoz@mbox.fsv.cuni.cz
Phone-- 42/2/2481 0804
Fax-- 42/2/2481 0987
When e-mailing, please include a regular mailing address so an
information packet can be sent without delay.
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