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Carolina (English) No 218
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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 218, Friday, October 11, 1996.
FROM THE NEWS OF THE PAST WEEK (October 2-9)
War of Words between Klaus and Zeman
Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus (Civic Democratic Party) accused the
Social Democrat Parliament Chairman Milos Zeman of trying to return the
political situation to pre-November 1989 days. "At this moment the basis
itself of the post-November transformation process is being called into
doubt in a fundamental way. Mr. Zeman, together with the communist and
Republicans, is doing it. We accepted our existence as a minority
government, but the position of puppet government, which Mr. Zeman is
trying to impose on us, we will not accept," the daily MF DNES quoted
Klaus at the ODS press conference October 3. Klaus was reacting to two
days of debate in Parliament, which requested the government to provide
an anti-dumping law draft and a formal conception of its pro-export
policy. Disagreement rules between the coalition and the opposition, for
example, concerning hospital privatization, which the Social Democrats
wish to halt. The opposition has 101 seats in Parliament, the coalition
99.
Zeman responded to Klaus' claims by saying democracy in the Czech
Republic is parliamentary, not executive. He rejected Klaus' charges and
labeled them an insult to Parliament: "He who cannot manage to govern
under control, cannot manage to govern well. Mr. Klaus will either have
to learn democracy or it will be better if he engages himself in simpler
activities," said Zeman in the October 3 edition of the daily Lidove
noviny.
President Vaclav Havel said in his weekly radio address it would
not be good if a parliamentary dictatorship began to rule, but he does
not fear for the fate of democracy. He called the verbal mudslinging
unnecessarily sharp and as disturbing the public.
Petra Kuskova, Roman Jedlicka/Milan Smid
Coalition Declares Agreement
Coalition parties chairmen Vaclav Klaus (Civic Democratic Party),
Josef Lux (Christian Democratic Union-Czechoslovak People's Party) and
Jan Kalvoda (Civic Democratic Alliance) demanded the opposition respect
the government in an October 7 joint declaration.
"Relations between the government and Parliament must be clean
- for the success of the work of both the government and Parliament,"
said Lux in the October 8 edition of daily MF DNES.
(After deadline)
Vaclav Havel Celebrated His 60th Birthday
President Vaclav Havel celebrated his 60th birthday (October 5) in
the Prague Theater Archa October 6.
The president received congratulations from hundreds of friends and
acquaintancies from artistic and political circles, among them from
Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus and Chairman of Parliament Milos Zeman.
A performance was given to him as birthday present by pop singers
Michael Kocab, Jaroslav Hutka, Marta Kubisova and Lucie Bila. Members of
theater groups Na tahu, Jara Cimrman, Na Zabradli and Sklep presented
short performances. At the party Havel recalled his recently deceased
wife Olga, and he was accompanied by his dog Dula the whole evening.
According to the daily MF DNES, Havel birthday's celebration took
place also in Manhattan, where the party was attended by Czech emigre
film director Milos Forman and actress Mia Farrow.
Congratulations were sent by dozens heads of states in the course
of the past week, among them from Russian President Boris Yeltsin,
German Chancellor Helmut Kohl or British Queen Elizabeth II. Havel
received also about 6,000 congratulatory letters.
Havel was born into the family of enterpreneur Vaclav M. Havel and
his wife Bozena Vavreckova. He was a leader of the opposition against
the communist regime in the former Czechoslovakia, and at the same time
became famous in the theater. Havel was elected president December 29,
1989, but resigned July 20, 1992, when he did not suceeded in preventing
the split of the Czechoslovak federation. As head of the independent
Czech Republic he was elected January 27, 1993. Havel enjoys a rather
stable, high level of public support, and played an important mediating
role during negotiations after this year's general elections. According
to the last public opinion poll results, 82 per cent of Czech citizens
have confidence in him.
The Prague Academy of Music Arts awarded Havel an honourary
doctorate September 4.
David Simonik/Milan Smid
Supreme Court Overrules Election Committee
The Supreme Court has already processed complaints from at least
93 Senate candidates whose applications had been turned down by the
Central Election Committee (UVK). As of September 25, the UVK had
rejected 105 from about 600 ballots (see Carolina 217). The Supreme
Court ruled in favor of most of the appeals, but at least 16 were
denied.
Kamila Mouckova, an independent on the Civic Democratic Alliace's
(ODA) ballot, wrote that she was not a member of ODA instead of
declaring that she was not a member of any political party or political
movement. Her appeal was denied, as in the case of Jiri Grusa, the Czech
ambassador to Germany. Both the UVK and the Supreme Court decided that
he had not shown sufficient documents proving his Czech citizenship. The
daily MF DNES quoted that Grusa had expected the Supreme Court would
swat the UVK's decision down like an annoying fly.
Most of the closely watched candidates, however, were accepted.
Former Czech Prime Minister Petr Pithart, an independent on the
Christian Democratic Union-Czechoslovak Peoples' Party ballot, has made
his return to the world of politics, as has former Minister of Health
Ludek Rubas, who is running as an independent against the wishes of the
ruling Civc Democratic Party, his former party. The ballot of union
leader Richard Falbr was also accepted the second time around. He had
labeled the UVK's rejection a political atttack.
The last chance potential candidates have to appeal their rejected
ballots is the Constitutional Court. The Constitutional Court, however,
is not committed to give their decision by October 16, which is the
registration date for candidates. Although a source at the offices of
the Constitutional Court told the daily Svobodne slovo that no appeals
had been submitted yet, Jiri Grusa, Kamila Mouckova and others say that
they will.
Michal Schindler/Andrea Snyder
ODS Popularity Down
The Center of Empirical Research's September list of most-loved
politicians, in comparison with May's results: Vladimir Dlouhy of the
Civic Democratic Alliance (ODA) heads the list once again, his
popularity increasing from 72 per cent to 74 per cent. Josef Zieleniec
of the ruling Civic Democratic Party (ODS) holds second place and
opposition Social Democrat Petra Buzkova of CSSD takes a solid third.
Zieleniec has increased his voter popularity from 65 per cent to 69 per
cent, and Buzkova is up 3 per cent from 58 per cent.
All party leaders, however, have fallen by 2 per cent. Social
Democrat Chairman Milos Zeman is down from 58 per cent to 56 per cent,
ODA Chairman Jan Kalvoda from 57 to 55 per cent, and Josef Lux of the
Christian Democratic Union-Czechoslovak People's Party has also dropped
from 54 per cent to 52 per cent approval. Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus
takes seventh place with a mere 50 per cent of the 1,500 people polled,
which is the lowest in his political career. Neo-Fascist Republican
leader Miroslav Sladek dropped from 25 per cent to 18 per cent.
The pre-election poll showed a general drop in ODS popularity.
Interior Minister Jan Ruml lost 13 per cent, Finance Minister Ivan
Kocarnik dropped by 7 per cent, and the daily MF DNES warned that the
poll had been done before the banking sector troubles arose.
Simona Markova/Andrea Snyder
Parliamentary Committee to Investigate Poldi Privatization
Parliament selected a committee to investigate Poldi Kladno's
privatization, along with the steel mill's economic conditions. Like the
committee created to investigate the Kreditni Banka Pilsen crash (see
Carolina 217), this committee has 12 members; four from both the Social
Democrats and the Civic Democratic Party, and one from each of the other
Parliament parties - the Communists, the Peoples' party, the Republicans
and the Civic Democratic Alliance.
Petr Mrzena/Andrea Snyder
Two More Charged in Kreditni Banka Crash
Two additional people were charged with fraud in the Kreditni banka
Pilsen case October 8. The state prosecutor proposed to the
Constitutional Court in Plzen that the accused be held in prison.
The steps were taken four days after the first five investigated in
the bank crash were released from prison. Among the five are bank
General Director Jan Peterka, his Deputy Milan Nenadal, bank employee
Elemir Vaclavik, Motoinvest representative David Knop-Kostka and Plzen
Bank Director Jan Roucka. They had been in prison since the middle of
September. Motoinvest Director Jan Dienstl was charged at the same time,
but was not jailed.
Petr Mrzena/Andrea Snyder
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Princess Sayako Visits Czech Republic on Havel's Invitation
Princess Sayako, the youngest daughter of the Japanese Emperor, was
in the Czech Republic on a five-day private visit starting October 3.
She was welcomed at the airport by Vera Caslavska, who is well-known in
Japan from the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, where she carried away three golds
and one silver in gymnastics.
The Princess met Livia Klaus, the prime minister's wife, with
President Vaclav Havel, to whom she conveyed birthday greetings from her
family. She visited Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad) and the SOS children's
village.
Libuse Kolouchova/Andrea Snyder
Defense Minister in Bonn
Czech Defense Minister Miloslav Vyborny (Christian Democratic
Union-Czechoslovak People's Party) met with German Defense Minister
Volker Ruhe in Bonn October 7. They discussed NATO expansion, European
security, Czech-German military cooperation, IFOR units in Bosnia and
the Partnership for Peace.
Petr Mrzena/Andrea Snyder
FROM SLOVAKIA
Meeting Of Czech And Slovak Defense Ministers Falls Through
Czech Defense Minister Miloslav Vyborny visited the Slovak city of
Trencin October 5, where he was supposed to meet his Slovak opposite,
Jan Sitek. Sitek, however, took ill at the last moment and cancelled the
meeting. In Trencin, Vyborny looked through the Idee 96 arms trade fair.
Petr Mrzena/Denisa Vitkova
Slovak Actors Stop Striking
Slovak National Theater actors called off the strike they began
two days before, on October 2, and returned to the stage. The return
happened after theater General Director Miroslav Fischer met their
demands and re-appointed Peter Mikulik principal of the Slovak National
Theater, despite Mikulik's earlier dismissal by Culture Minister Ivan
Hudec.
However, the old-new drama director will stay in office only until
September 1, 1997. By then, as per the actors' request, the Culture
Ministry has to hold a public search for a new drama theater director.
The next demand Fischer had to comply with, in order to return the
striking actors to the theater, is appointing their representatives onto
the search commission. The actors also ask for Hudec's official
explanation of the reasons for Mikulik's firing. They also want Hudec to
stop the smear campaign directed at fired theater director Dusan Jamrich
(see Carolina 217) and to take back accusations of financial
discrepancies in the theater.
According to daily Lidove noviny, Slovak Premier Vladimir Meciar
menaced the striking actors with firing at an October 3 meeting of the
ruling Movement for Democratic Slovakia. Lidove noviny quoted Meciar as
saying, "even in theaters that are indicated as provincial, there are
many artists who have something to say to spectators and are mature
personalities. Therefore I think it is necessary to open the National
Theater to them as well."
However, the present interruption of the strike does not have to
be definitive, because its end depends on Culture Minister Hudec's
decision whether to approve general director Fischer's steps. If Hudec
rejects them, the actors will probably stop playing again.
Marketa Kropackova/Denisa Vitkova
ECONOMY
Becherovka Loses Trademark Case
Jan Becher-Karlovarska Becherovka company, the producer of the
world-renowned herb liquer, was defeated by German Underberg company
production in a trademark case October 4. Becherovka Director Vaclav
Lupinek confirmed the result to the press and added his company has
appealed to the German Supreme Court.
The Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad) producer and Underberger have similar
cases in another 20 countries. The German company had bought the rights
and Becherovka recipe from the last living member of the Becher family
- Eda Becher, the German woman expelled after the Second World War from
the now-Czech Sudetenland. In 1985 the companies agreed on Underberg's
right to distribute the liquer in Germany without the possibility to
produce it. Underberg withdrew from the contract in 1994, possibly
because of fear of Becherovka's privatization.
The loss of German trade lowered Becherovka's exports by more than
40 per cent. "We sold around a million liters of Becherovka liquer to
Germany in 1994, now there is zero export to this territory," said
Lupinek to the daily Pravo. The German producer sees the only way to
solve this problem in a merger and is prepared to concentrate all
production in the Czech Republic. The privatization of Becherovka (94
per cent of the company is still owned by the National Property Fund)
has drawn out over several years and is now being dealt with by the
Ministry of Finance, which has not provided any specific proposals.
David Vlk/Katerina Zachovalova
Exchange Rates at the Czech National Bank
(valid from October 11)
country currency
------------------------------------------
Australia 1 AUD 21.391
Belgium 100 BEF 86.056
Great Britain 1 GBP 42.415
Denmark 1 DKK 4.627
Finland 1 FIM 5.932
France 1 FRF 5.244
Ireland 1 IEP 43.460
Italy 1000 ITL 17.786
Japan 100 JPY 24.349
Canada 1 CAD 20.116
Luxemburg 100 LUF 86.056
Netherlands 1 NLG 15.798
Norway 1 NOK 4.165
New Zealand 1 NZD 18.782
Portugal 100 PTE 17.532
Austria 1 ATS 2.521
Greece 100 GRD 11.270
Slovakia 100 SKK 87.081
Germany 1 DEM 17.720
Spain 100 ESP 21.060
Sweden 1 SEK 4.110
Switzerland 1 CHF 21.671
USA 1 USD 27.137
ECU 1 XEU 33.912
SDR 1 XDR 39.049
CULTURE
Kolya Successful in Land of Rising Sun
The Czech film Kolya, made by the Sverak father-son duo, was
awarded the main prize at the 9th International Film Festival in Tokyo
October 6. The father and the film's star, Zdenek Sverak, also won the
prize for best screenplay. "We are enthused that our film touched the
hearts of Japanese people," said director Jan Sverak in the daily Pravo
October 7.
But Kolya has not yet finished its festival pilgrimage - together
with two other films, Kolya will compete for this year's Felix, the
award given to the European film of the year by the European Film
Academy.
Karolina Cebrovska/Zuzana Kawaciukova
New Czech Movie Whisper Comes to Cinemas
Under the distribution slogan "On the wings of adrenaline, love and
imagination" was the new Czech movie Whisper (Septej) released in
theaters outside Prague October 2. Prague had to wait one week to see
the story of a female student deserting her military high school,
a story marking the debut of director David Ondricek.
Despite the filmmakers' denial of drawing any inspiration from the
worldwide wave of films called the third drug generation, Ondricek's
debut will not escape comparison with the British cult hit
Trainspotting, the trend's most well known representative. The
screenplay, under which are also signed the film's protagonist, Jan P.
Muchow, and Jan Novak, the Chicagoan and co-author of Czech emigre
director Milos Forman's film Valmont, was begun in 1993. The main roles,
except for National Theater actors Martin Mysicka and Tatiana Vilhemova
(known from Sasa Gedeon's Indian Summer), are played by non-actors. The
central group of characters is filled out by Jan Cechticky, together
with Muchow the leaders of the band Colorfactory, which colors the film
with its moody music.
The 5-million-crown budget of Whisper was partly financed by
producer Petr Oukropec's company and the Short Film company. Czech
Television, which bought the film's broadcast rights, contibuted as
well. The movie will be offered abroad by a French distributor.
Matej Cerny/Zuzana Kawaciukova
Conflict in Czech Philharmonic
Even eight months after Czech Philharmonic Orchestra Chief
Conductor Gerd Albrecht left office, disagreement still predominates in
the ensenble. The orchestra's seventh managing director, Jiri Kovar,
tried to make the situation clear at an October 4 press conference in
the concert hall of Prague's Rudolfinum.
Some philharmonic members have asked for Kovar's removal, because
of his canceling a contract with the Japanese music agency Musica for
their regular tour in Japan. Kovar explained this by saying the agency
lacks finances and there are other better known agencies interested in
the philharmonic.
Although conductor Vladimir Valek (also the head of the Radio
Philharmonic) is leading the orchestra today, the position of chief
conductor is still free. That is connected with another conflict, as
some philharmonic members have negotiated this free post with
Czech-born American conductor Zdenek Macal (who should have led the
orchestra in Japan) even though it is not their prerogative to do so.
Kovar also announced at the press conference that he was canceling
participation at the prestigious Toshiba festival, which selected the
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra from a group of five. He was forced to take
this step because of the disagreements obstructing the professional work
of the orchestra.
Ondrej Slavik/Magda Vanova
SPORT
Soccer: Sparta's First Victory This Season
Slavia Praha, the champion of last year's Czech soccer league, tied
Boby Brno, which sits atop this year's standings, in spite of a record
Brno crowd of 45,000. After its first victory, Sparta Praha is not in
last place anymore.
Eighth round of the first Czech soccer league (October 2-4): Boby
Brno-Slavia Praha 1:1, Sparta Praha-Hradec Kralove 1:0,
Liberec-Jablonec 1:0, Plzen-Bohemians 0:1, Karvina-Opava 1:1,
Teplice-Zizkov 1:0, Drnovice-Ostrava 5:2, Olomouc-Budejovice 1:1.
Honza Mazak/Jan Majer
1998 World Championship Qualification: Czechs Tie Spain 0:0
Twenty thousand fans attended October 9's soccer qualifying match
for the 1998 World Championship. Although world-famous Czech attacker
Karel Poborsky took part in the match, the Czech team tied Spain 0:0.
Such a result is not a failure nor success for Czech players and their
fans. The qualification is just beginning and they all look forward to
their next matches.
Honza Mazak/Jan Majer
Jaroslav Hules Scores Again
Jaroslav Hules, the only Czech participant in motorcycling's World
Championship, finished in 15th place in the Brazil Grand Prix and got
another point. After the race Hules complained of the poor tuning of his
motorcycle. Before the last race of the Czech rider's first season in
the Grand Prix series, he is in a satisfactory 23rd place.
Honza Mazak/Jan Majer
WEATHER
During the last week the sun probably took a look at the calendar,
so temperatures were at least able to rise a few degrees. Umbrellas and
warm coats, so much used in our cold September, remained hanging at home
during the first week of October. But we can't hope it will last long
- after all, night temperatures are about 6 degrees Celsius/43 degrees
Fahrenheit.
Patr Mrzena/Jan Majer
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