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Carolina (English) No 236
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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 236, Friday, February 28, 1997.
FROM THE EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK (February 19-26)
Social Democrats Quibble over Country's NATO Entry
The Czech Social Democratic Party (CSSD) is not united on the issue
of a NATO referendum as to whether the Czech Republic will join the
international organization. Both liberal and conservative Social
Democrats are against the referendum, which would require a majority of
public voter support before joining. Although CSSD Chairman Milos Zeman
supports the referendum, he says the country has no alternative to
joining NATO. "I always tell supporters of neutrality that (neutrality
itself) is twice as expensive as membership in a collective security
system," he told Czech daily MF DNES. CSSD Parliament Deputy Pavel
Dostal said, "In a situation where Russia is taking a very agressive
standpoint, the security umbrella is sacramentally necessary for us, and
that is how it should be explained to the citizens."
The Czech Republic's NATO entry is just part of a wide-ranging
debate unleashed in the Czech media over the past two weeks. Polemics
over whether or not the Czech Republic is capable of joining NATO have
taken the place of Zeman's commentaries on the Czech-German Declaration.
Even in his weekly radio program Talks from Lany, President Vaclav
Havel blamed the West for dragging its feet in NATO expansion. "That
old, ancient fault of western democracies in the form of hesitation,
postponment and an insufficiency of generous solutions, continues
returning to us," he said, adding, "Three, four years ago, Russia did
not care at all whether the Alliance expanded or not."
Matej Cerny/Andrea Snyder
Social Democrats Considering Coalition with Christian Democrats
Chairman Milos Zeman is preparing his Social Democrat Party (CSSD)
for a coalition with the Christian Democratic Union-Czechoslovak
Peoples' Party (KDU-CSL). Until the Czech daily Pravo published February
21 the newsletter the CSSD leader had prepared for his party's congress
in March, the information had been under wraps.
In a sharp reaction, Christian Democrat Chairman Josef Lux initiated
a meeting with Zeman the same day where he emphasized that the KDU-CSL
is part of the government coalition, after having signed a binding
coalition contract. He says that such statements are damaging his party
in its relations with both the coalition and the opposition. "We do not
want anyone to deal with these speculations without our participation,"
said Lux. Zeman wrote that although both parties may deny it during the
pre-election campaign, KDU-CSL is the party with the platform most
similar to the CSSD, including emphasis on a socially oriented market
economy, solidarity and social guarantees. Their opinion differ on the
topic of restitution of church property. The Social Democrat head
recommends non-confrontational relations with the Christian Democrats
and the Civic Democratic Alliance (ODA), but also not to compromise with
the ruling Civic Democratic Party (ODS).
Senator Jan Koukal (ODS) told Pravo in an interview that the Social
Democrat-Christian Democrat coalition is already functioning in the
Senate. However, members of both parties denied the statement.
Bohdana Rambouskova/Andrea Snyder
Union Still Wants Railway Management Changed
Chairman of the Union Association of Railway Workers (OSZ) Jiri
Kratochvil says that the extraordinary committee created to inspect the
Czech Railways' (CD) finances and fund utilization has made it possible
for the railways' Executive Board to recall company management,
including General Director Rudolf Mladek. Kratochvil is a member of the
committee, which acknowledged eight of the nine points of concern
submitted by OSZ.
Mladek reacted by saying that current management does not carry
responsibility for the financial problems. He only recognizes two of the
eight OSZ points. He stated that the inspection committee is biased,
because he was not allowed to speak during their investigation. The
Ministry of Transportation also considers only two of the OSZ points new
material.
The inspection committee included members of the the ministries of
finance, transportation and trade, and of the High Inspection Office,
OSZ and the CD General Inspection. Czech Railways' Executive Board will
review the committee's findings this week.
After deadline: The board decided February 27 not to recall
management.
Bohdana Rambouskova/Andrea Snyder
Devaty Wins Court Case
Social Democrat Chairman Milos Zeman lost the case concerning
personal security to former Security and Information System (BIS) head
Stanislav Devaty February 24. The Social Democrats (CSSD) are to pay
Devaty 1 million crowns and publicly apologize. The party's legal
counsel has appealed.
The Prague City Court knocked the CSSD leader out in a relatively
short period of time (see Carolina 224). Charges were filed November
14. Devaty had initially demanded the apology and 5 million crowns in
response to Zeman's accusation of BIS following opposition and coalition
politicians. He later lowered the amount, and was content with the
court's decision. "It is impossible for someone to create a bubble and
then not carry responsibility for it," he told Czech daily MF DNES
February 25.
CSSD Counsel Tomas Malek argued during the case that Zeman's charges
were aimed at BIS, and not at Devaty personally. The court decided,
however, that these unsubstantiated charges damaged Devaty to the extent
of resignation. He is now working as a legal apprentice, another reason
the damage charges were so high.
The Social Democrat camp is fuming. Jaroslav Basta, Social Democrat
chairman of the Parliament Committee for BIS Investigations, says that
the court's decision was too politically motivated and and dubious
legally. "The BIS provisional director cannot personify the service,"
said Basta, adding that no witnesses were heard.
Devaty expects an apology from Christian Democrat Chairman Josef
Lux, who was first to charge BIS in the fall. "I think that Mr. Devaty
cannot be serious. As a member of the government, I drew attention to
a impropriety in the work of the intelligence service. The impropriety
was then disclosed, and I really do not intend to apologize to the
person who is responsible for the management of this service, and in
turn, for the impropriety," said Lux.
Pavel Novak/Andrea Snyder
Police President Tomasek: Kalma Not Assassinated
Police President Oldrich Tomasek February 21 denied the possibility
that the tragic death November 24 of Ludvik Kalma, the Skoda Mlada
Boleslav autoworks chairman of the board, could have been planned in
advance.
In accordance with Interior Minister Jan Ruml's request, Tomasek
ordered a new investigation after the German magazine Der Spiegel
published speculation about a possible assasination, considering
Kalma's initiative in Skoda's corruption scandal investigation. "Police
specialists checked all circumstances of the accident and investigated
the case in greater detail," said police press spokeswoman Ivana Moosova
for the February 22 edition of daily MF DNES.
However, Skoda does not consider the case to be concluded, as it
has filed charges against the Peugeot driver passed by Kalma's Octavia
just before it hit a truck. Skoda spokesman Jiri Hrabovsky refused to
announce details because it could affect the police investigation.
Pavel Novak/Denisa Vitkova
Unisys and IDOM Back in Battle for Army Tender
Defense Minister Miloslav Vyborny decided February 24 to return the
Unisys and IDOM companies into the tender for establishing a staff
information system for the Czech Army. This is one of the most important
army bids, worth about 4 billion crowns. Creating information and
communication systems compatible with NATO standards is of key
importance for accepting the Czech Republic into the organization.
The minister's decision, which could evoke protests from the
remaining two companies (IBM and EDS) bidding for the tender, is not,
according to press information, very surprising. Unisys and IDOM were
excluded from the competition because of the lack of a company seal on
the bid envelope. The whole matter is complicated also by the fact that
Unisys has evidence of having everything in order when submitting its
bid, which could provoke doubts about the manipulation of the tender.
Pavel Novak/Denisa Vitkova
NEWS IN BRIEF
* After deadline: The Czech village U Sabotu will be ceded to Slovakia
and the Slovak village of Sidonie to the Czech Republic as the result of
Parliament's approval of the change of the Czech-Slovak border February
26. The constitutional amendment is to be considered by the Senate and
president.
* Head Physician of the Central Army Hospital's (UVN) first internal
ward Ilja Kotik became President Vaclav Havel's attending physician. The
agreement about a new approach to the president's healthcare was signed
by representatives of the Presidential Office, Health Ministry and UVN
February 20.
* Civic Democratic Alliance Chairman Jan Kalvoda was elected February
26 to a two-year term as chairman of the party's Prague branch. He
replaced Michal Prokop, the blues singer and former deputy culture
minister. According to information from the CTI agency, 82 of 102 voting
members supported Kalvoda, who, after the scandal with his misusing the
title doctor of law, gave up his mandates as Parliament deputy and
justice minister.
Zuzana Kawaciukova/Denisa Vitkova
FOREIGN BRIEFS
Klaus Visits Iceland and Canada
Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus began his five-day official trip
February 19 in Iceland. He met with Icelandic Prime Minister David
Oddsson, who assured him again that the Icelandic position toward NATO
expansion is more accepting than the position of other NATO members.
Klaus then spent four days, beginning February 20, on an official
visit of Canada. At a press conference after the prime ministers'
meeting, Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien said Canada supports the
Czech Republic's entrance to NATO, and he complimented the Czech
economic transformation.
Klaus met February 21 with Canada Foreign Trade Minister Arthur
Eggleton and was given an honorary doctorate from the University of
Toronto for his role in the Czech Republic's economic transformation.
Pavel Novak/Mirek Langer
Foreign Ministers Zieleniec and Kinkel in Saxony
The fourth official Czech Republic representative in Germany
(besides the embassy in Bonn, its branch in Berlin and the general
consulate in Munich), the general consulate in Dresden was opened by
Czech Foreign Minister Josef Zieleniec and German Foreign Minister Klaus
Kinkel February 22.
During their first meeting after the Czech-German Declaration's
ratification in the Bundestag and the Czech Chamber of Deputies, they
talked about the realization of the Future Foundation. In about one
month, the work group which will undertake the preparation of the
projects (social or ecological, as well as youth exchanges) will meet.
Lida Truneckova/Mirek Langer
Havel Stays in Belgian Spa
President Vaclav Havel traveled February 21 with his wife Dagmar to
Belgium, to spend the last week of his convalescence in the Spa baths.
According to presidential spokesman Ladislav Spacek, they went to
Belgium also because they want to spend their honeymoon there. "It is
the Havels' first common trip - they will live this week through in
privacy. It could be called a honeymoon," Spacek said to daily MF DNES.
According to press agency CTI, President Havel will receive
Bulgarian President Petar Stoyanov in Prague February 28.
Zuzana Kawaciukova/Mirek Langer
FROM SLOVAKIA
Not All Slovak Theaters Support Strike
Only 13 of 21 Slovak theaters supported strike which called
February 22. Actors will perform and after the performance they appraise
the audience of their demands to Culture Ministry. They are asking for
the return of sovereignty to all theaters, they want only the winners of
competitions to become directors, and they are demanding a freeze on the
approval process of the Theater Act, which would then be created by an
independent committee.
At the last second, Miroslav Fischer, general director of the
Slovak National Theater in Bratislava, prevented the strike when he
named Juraj Slezacek to the post of drama director. Slezacek is
supported by actors in opposition to Leopold Haverl, previously named to
the post in spite of not winning the search.
After deadline: From February 28 two-thirds of Slovak theaters began
to strike.
Jan Potucek/Magdalena Vanova
Czech-Slovak Declaration
Slovak Premier Vladimir Meciar met Rudolf Slansky, the new Czech
ambassador to Slovakia, for the first time. They talked about a possible
Czech-Slovak Declaration, which would solve the problem of the dividing
of finances after the split of the former Czechoslovakia.
Meciar suggests the "zero-alternative" - erasing the Slovak debt of
24 billion Czech Crowns left after dividing of State Bank of
Czechoslovakia. The Slovak government does not acknowledge this debt and
leading Slovak politicians have repeatedly demanded the return of part
of the gold reserves belonging to Slovakia still in the deposit of the
Czech National Bank in Prague.
The idea of a Czech-Slovak Declaration was mentioned for the first
time in an interview for Lidove noviny News by Czech Prime Minister
Vaclav Klaus February 14.
The planned meeting of Klaus and his opposite number in April or
May should bring some resolution in the question of declaration. It will
be their first official meeting after the split of Czechoslovakia.
Jan Potucek/Magdalena Vanova
ONE-SENTENCE NEWS
* Governing-coalition member the Slovak Workers Association is going
to support again the opposition's plan for freezing bank privatization
till 2003 (see Carolina 235), and early parliamentary elections are not
out of the question, according to the Association.
* Slovak President Michal Kovac said he is considering combining
a referendum on the entrance of Slovakia into NATO with a referendum on
direct presidential election, which Premier Vladimir Meciar opposes.
* Eastern Slovakia Ironworks (Vychodoslovenske zelezarny - VSZ) of
Kosice will enter the Hungarian steel market and likely have
significantly influence in the sector there. An agreement from 1994
limits VSZ to exporting only 50,000 tons of steel per year.
* From March 1 there will be a new country code for international
telephone calls to Slovakia - 421 (the new Czech Republic country code
will be 420).
* The government of Slovakia accepted a 20-per-cent increasing in the
prices of domestic mail services beginning April 1.
Jan Potucek/Magdalena Vanova
ECONOMY
Strike in Poldi Kladno
About 200 key employees of Poldi Kladno steel mills, among them
workers of the Drin rolling mill, went on strike February 25 because of
their long-deferred salaries. According to Vladimir Salac, chairman of
the Drin Strike Committee, his union threatened Poldi management with
legal action and the disclosure of evidence of the draining money from
the company. Salac admitted that the majority of Drin employees are not
going to strike longer than until February 28, after which they would
simply quit. There are three strike committees in Poldi Kladno which had
a meeting (without the presence of Poldi owner and CEO Marko Stehlik) on
the very first day of the strike, but were not able to formulate the
terms and preconditions for ending the strike.
Poldi has not paid salaries to employees since November 1996 (see
Carolina 235). About 4,300 people are employed in Poldi Kladno, however,
only half of them have the chance to get their salaries. The Poldi staff
was divided, on instructions of Stehlik and without trade union consent,
into three categories as to their claims on salary.
About 400 preferred professionals were put into the first category,
which is entitled to payment of full salary or 80 per cent of it when
staying idle at home. The second group is comprised of about 1,800
employees necessary for restarting production in the mills. This staff
should be paid by the end of April under the same conditions as the
first category, but after May they will not get any salary. The people
in the third category will not get any salary even for December 1996,
though they will not be fired and management is letting them hope
production will start again.
Petra Sevcikova/Milan Smid
NEWS IN BRIEF
* The Czech crown improved its position on the interbank market during
the week February 24-28 when the market reacted to the
better-than-predicted data about the January trade deficit, and about
developments in issuing the Czech crown's eurobonds. The Czech January
balance of trade ended in a 13.6-billion-crown deficit. Imports reached
60 billion crowns in January, while exports were 46.4 billion crowns.
The trade deficit a year ago was 7.9 billion crowns.
* Among the most pressing problems of the Czech capital market is the
very low share of initial public offerings, said Minister of Finance
Ivan Kocarnik at the 1997 Prague Managers' Forum, devoted to the topic
of the Czech capital market. Corporations complain about the
non-standardized nature of the Czech capital market, and their interest
in acquiring new capital through public offerings is negligible.
* The Ministry of Finance rejected February 25 the farmers' demand for
a 50 per cent return of the gasoline consumption tax paid on the "green
gas" consumed during field work. This is one of the demands which the
Agricultural Chamber is ready to push through negotiations with the
government by means of civil disobedience. According to the daily Pravo,
the 50 per cent return of the gasoline consumption tax should compensate
farmers for the disproportionately increasing gap between the rising
prices of inputs into agriculture and declining selling prices of
agriculture products.
Petra Sevcikova/Milan Smid
Exchange Rates at the Czech National Bank
(valid from February 28)
country currency
------------------------------------------
Britain 1 GBP 46.855
France 1 FRF 5.054
Japan 100 JPY 23.771
Canada 1 CAD 21.070
Austria 1 ATS 2.422
Slovakia 100 SKK 86.497
Germany 1 DEM 17.040
Switzerland 1 CHF 19.476
USA 1 USD 28.784
ECU 1 XEU 33.102
SDR 1 XDR 39.978
CULTURE
Havlova Bids Theater Farewell
Czech President Vaclav Havel's wife Dagmar Havlova took leave of the
theater February 19, as she played Strindberg's Queen Christina for the
last time. The president attended the performance.
At the end, Havlova was moved by the massive ovation. "I am really
leaving the theater now," she said. "I don't know for how long. Anyway,
be sure that if I am leaving you as an actress, I am not leaving you as
a citizen. On the contrary, I want to use my position that fate gave me,
for the benefit of all of us. It is all the same whether I will do it
directly, through my own acts, or indirectly through supporting my
husband."
Havlova did not rule out returning to the theater.
Michaela Klevisova/Jan Majer
Forman's People Vs. Larry Flynt in Czech Cinemas
The first public showing of the new film by Milos Forman in the
director's native country took place February 22. His film The People
Vs. Larry Flynt was introduced to Forman's friends, at Prague Castle
last October, though only in English.
The film, nominated for an Oscar for best director, was awarded the
Golden Bear at 47th Berlin Film Festival February 24. "European
audiences understand the film is about something more than the story of
the publisher of pornography," Forman said. According to him, the film
is not a story of a man doing business from human weakness. It is about
his and everyone's right for freedom of speech.
The first run at the Prague Castle was put on especially for
President Vaclav Havel, though he never made it, saying he was busy. It
was said Havel did not want to meet face to face with Flynt, who also
arrived in Prague with Forman and the stars of the film, Woody Harrelson
and Courtney Love.
Michaela Klevisova/Jan Majer
CULTURE APPENDIX
Prague Looks into Glorious Chapter of Ballet History
Famous Russian ballet-dancer Maya Plisetskaya prepared for Prague
audiences not one but two performances, thanks to enormous spectator
interest. The 71-year-old legend danced in the National Theater not long
after another outstanding performer, Mikhail Baryshnikov. Plisetskaya is
accompanied on her tour by the Imperial Russian Ballet (IRB), founded in
1994 by Gediminas Taranda.
Plisetskaya became the soloist of Moscow's fabled Bolshoi Ballet in
1943. Unlike Baryshnikov and Nureyev she did not leave Russia for
abroad, and she created several legendary roles, most of all
Odette-Odile in the Swan Lake and Carmen in the ballet of the same name.
After the celebration of the 50th anniversary of her dancing in Moscow,
she decided to return to active performances and started a European
tour, which continues in Berlin and France after the Prague show. She
had come to Prague for the first time in 1947, for her first performance
abroad.
The second act of the Charles Adam's ballet "Giselle" was the
performance's first half (staring Nadiezhda Pavlova and Alexander
Gorbatsevich). After a break, the great entrance of the star of the
program, with her suite on Tchaikovsky's Onegin Polonaise and then the
IRB members' variety gala followed, including pas de deux from ballets
The Corsair and The Flames of Paris, the duet The Rose Ghost (with Carl
Maria Weber's music), the Gopak (a Russian dance), a modern choreography
to Astor Piazzola's music and the near-cabaret of Offenbach's Cancan
With Surprise.
Although all spectators impatiently waited for the penultimate
number, Mikhail Fokin's choreography The Dying Swan to Camile
Saint-Saens' music. Plisetskaya's world renown springs also from this
role. The audience's ovations appreciated her inimitable mastery.
Also, the farewell procession with Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky's The
Italian Caprice proved how great a favor Plisetskaya did to Prague with
her visit. It has not seen such a perfect performance, beginning with
soloists and ending with a last chorus-dancer, for a long time.
In the spectators' memories, the unforgettable experience of the
immediate meeting with a ballerina who will have a large chapter in all
histories of ballet shall remain.
Mirek Langer/Mirek Langer
SPORT
Neumannova Third in World Championships
In the Nordic skiing world championships in Trondheim, Norway, the
performance of cross-country standout Katerina Neumannova represent the
greatest Czech success, while the jumpers' results were rather
disappointing.
Neumannova finished third in the first discipline (15-km classic)
February 21 and thus got her first "great" medal. She had been second
for a while, but in the end she finished after Valbe from Russia and
Italy's Belmondo.
The next races brought Neumannova no medals. In the 5-km classic
she finished seventh, but after the disqualification of Russia's Egorova
for doping she moved to sixth place. In the combined discipline she
finished fourth, losing the medal fight with Gavriliuk (Russia) on the
slope in front of the stadium February 23. The next best Czech woman
finisher wound up in the second dozen in the results, but recent junior
Zuzana Kocumova helped Neumannova to push the relay team into fifth
place February 27.
Korunka's 21st place in the 30-km freestyle and Buchta's 18th place
in the combined were the best finishes for Czech men.
In the nordic combined, Rygl was seventh after the jumps, but
because of a poor cross-country performance fell to 12th place. On the
contrary, an excellent performance in the combined's second half moved
Frantisek Maka into ninth place. In the team competition, the Czech
Republic started the relay in second place almost thanks to first-timer
Jan Matura, but then sank to the fourth.
Jumpers flamed out in the K-90 ski jump competition and in the team
competition, too. In the former, only Suchacek advanced to the second
round, but there he finished 30th, i.e., last. In the team competition,
Matura, borrowed from the nordic combination team, was the best, though
the squad finished ninth among thirteen teams, the Czechs' worst result
ever.
Mirek Langer/Mirek Langer
Czech Soccer Players Win First 1997 Game, against Belarus
The Czech national team began its 1997 season in Podebrady February
26 against Belarus, represented by only five "A-team" players
complemented by under-21 representatives. After a promising beginning
for the Czechs, when they opened the scoring thanks to Rapid Vienna
member Wagner (10th minute), the Belarussians got satisfaction on
Razumov's goal before the break. In the second half, Olomouc defender
Rada scored twice (63rd and 68th minute) and after the next three
minutes Liverpool player Berger closed the match score to 4-1.
Coach Dusan Uhrin saw this match as preparation for the
qualification match with Yugoslavia April 2, although the team still has
a match with Poland before the Yugoslavia game. He complained about the
nerozehranost of some players, particularly goalie Kouba.
The Czech under-21 team tied an exhibition match in Lebanon 3-3.
Goals: Nehoda (10th) and P. Siegl (56th, 80th).
Mirek Langer/Mirek Langer
Olomouc Defender Rada Scores First Spring League Goal
With Olomouc's 1-0 win over Liberec, the spring session of the top
soccer league started February 21. Leader Slavia Praha got only one
point in Opava's stadium, while its probable top challenger for the
title, Sparta Praha, defeated another strong squad, Brno, 5-0. In the
standings, Drnovice is second and Liberec third, but even 10th-place
Ostrava is only seven points behind Slavia. Zizkov, until this round in
last place, defeated Ostrava thanks to Zelenka's head shot and jumped
into 13th place. Bohemians Praha are now in last, trailing Hradec
Kralove.
Results: Olomouc - Liberec 1-0, Sparta Praha - Brno 5-0, Teplice -
Plzen 1-1, Opava - Slavia Praha 1-1, Hradec Kralove - Jablonec 0-2,
Ceske Budejovice - Bohemians Praha 2-1, Zizkov - Ostrava 1-0.
Mirek Langer/Mirek Langer
Sparta's 13-Game No-Loss Streak Ends in Hockey Extraleague
Against Litvinov in the 47th round, Sparta Praha lost after 13
straight games without a loss. The competition for eighth place, the
last spot in the playoffs, continues to be dramatic.
Results from the 45th round: Vitkovice - Zlin 2:1, Opava - Litvinov
2:4, Vsetin - Jihlava 7:2, Plzen - Ceske Budejovice 4:1, Olomouc
- Slavia Praha 2:2, Trinec - Pardubice 5:4, Sparta Praha - Kladno 6:0.
Results from the 46th round: Ceske Budejovice - Sparta Praha 4:4,
Slavia Praha - Trinec 2:4, Jihlava - Vitkovice 1:3, Litvinov - Plzen
1:3, Zlin - Olomouc 3:2, Pardubice - Opava 7:2, Kladno - Vsetin 2:8.
Results from the 47th round: Sparta Praha - Litvinov 3:6, Trinec
- Zlin 8:3, Kladno - Jihlava 3:1, Vsetin - Ceske Budejovice 3:1, Plzen
- Pardubice 7:3, Opava - Slavia Praha 2:5, Olomouc - Vitkovice 4:1.
Standings: 1. Vsetin 66, 2. Sparta Praha 60, 3. Vitkovice 55, 4.
Pardubice 52, 5. Trinec 51, 6. Kladno 49, 7. Litvinov 48, 8. Ceske
Budejovice 46, 9. Slavia Praha 46, 10. Zlin 45, 11. Plzen 42, 12.
Olomouc 41, 13. Jihlava 31, 14. Opava 24 (Sparta and Vitkovice have each
played one game less).
After the regular season, the first eight teams will advance to the
playoffs, while the two last-place teams will play a tournament with the
two best teams from the lower league.
Mirek Langer/Mirek Langer
SPORTS IN BRIEF
* Czech table-tennis players, after a 1-4 loss in Italy, also lost the
return match 3-4 and failed to return to the Superdivision, the highest
level of the European League.
* The Czech men's basketball players defeated Finland 99-75 in the
final European championship qualification match, but they will not
advance from their fifth place.
* The only Czech basketball-player in the NBA, Jiri Zidek, was traded
from the Charlotte Hornets to the Denver Nuggets.
* Katerina Pivonkova, the european 200-meters backstroke champion in
the 25-meter pool, was voted the 1996 Czech Swimming and Diving Union
top athlete.
* Road racer Jan Svorada was named the 1996 Czech Cycling Sport King.
* Dutch cable television conglomerate Nethold will stop broadcasting
in the Czech Republic, although it owned broadcasting rights for the
soccer league's from the 1998-9 season.
Mirek Langer/Mirek Langer
WEATHER
Athough spring officially arrives March 21 this year as well, the
pussy willows are already out in the parks, and crocuses are blooming in
the flower-beds. The sun shone, temperatures rose to 12 degrees
Celsius/53.6 degrees Fahrenheit and people left their winter coats at
home. A strong wind was blowing February 25, and, along with the rain,
brought the temperatures down a little, but it still seems that spring
is coming closer with loving steps.
Michaela Klevisova/Andrea Snyder
Czech version edited by Michael Bluhm.
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Study In Prague Next Summer
From July 12 to August 3, 1997, the Faculty of Social Sciences,
together with Georgetown University and The Fund for American Studies,
will sponsor The American Institute on Comparative Political and
Economic Systems for the fifth consecutive year.
The Institute will take place at the Faculty of Social Sciences in
Prague, and will include lectures by professors from both Georgetown
University and Charles University, as well as guest appearances by
notable political and cultural figures. All lectures and site briefings
will be held in English.
In 1996, over 100 students from 22 different countries attended the
Institute. In 1997 the School hopes to maintain the same number of
students. The institute offers an equally diverse and interesting
program by combining lectures with site briefings around Prague and an
exciting program of social activities.
Scholarships are available for students from Central and Eastern
Europe. For further details and an application form, contact either Ann
Erker at The Fund for American Studies or Cyril Simsa at the Faculty of
Social Sciences at the following e-mail addresses:
Ann Erker: aipes@tfas.org
Cyril Simsa: SVOZ@mbox.fsv.cuni.cz
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