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Carolina (English) No 269
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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: (+4202) 24810804, ext. 252, fax: (+4202) 24810987
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
C A R O L I N A No 269, Friday, December 12, 1997.
FROM THE EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK (December 3 - 10)
Havel Criticizes Klaus in Address to Parliament
In an address to Parliamentary deputies and Senators December 9,
President Vaclav Havel severly criticized the policies of Prime Minister
Vaclav Klaus' government, and identified outstanding problems in Czech
society. The president's theme was the "the other face of Czech
society." He said one of the reasons for the county's current state of
affairs is the "conviction that it pays to lie and steal," and that
"political parties are secretly manipulated by suspicious financial
groups." Havel said the main mistake was pride, mainly due to
privatization, and said "we have behaved like spoiled only children." He
accused the ruling political party of enmity towards all that was
reminiscent of the civic society.
The second part of the speech was "10 commandments," or 10 goals
for the Czech Republic. They include becoming "anchored" in the European
Union and NATO, and state-administration, self-administration and
ecology reforms.
Anna Kadava/Andrea Snyder
Klaus Decries Havel's Address
Although President Vaclav Havel's address to Parliament December
9 was greeted with thunderous applause, Vaclav Klaus, who resigned from
the post of prime minister November 30, made a point of not clapping. He
was seated in the center of the front row.
At a press conference two hours later, he accused the president of
being confrontational, which Klaus called a contradiction, in light of
the fact that Havel had challenged the nation to be responsible,
tolerant and honorable.
Klaus said the address showed an extremely different world view
from that of the right wing and a lack of understanding of the way
market economies and free societies function.
Klaus contrasted the content of the speech with the naming of
Christian Democrat Chairman Josef Lux to construct the new government.
"If the speech was meant seriously, one can hardly imagine that the
president can entrust the construction of a new government to someone
from the former government coalition," he said.
Other ODS party members also expressed dissatisfaction with the
address. Former Interior Minister Jan Ruml said, "Surely we are not such
criminals. President Havel could have divided the criticism among the
other coalition parties, and among the opposition, as well." Havel's
speech was heartily approved by Lux and Civic Democratic Alliance
Chairman Jiri Skalicky, who was quoted in the daily MF DNES as saying
"perhaps some of the individual parts of the criticism were arguable,
but, as a whole, I consider it to have been fair and a challenge to
further work." Parliament and opposition Social Democrat Chairman Milos
Zeman said the speech "adequately identified the state of our society,
especially a certain moral decay." Communists were disappointed that the
president said that the Czech Republic must wrestle with the
post-Communist morass, and the Republicans, as usual, protested.
Erik Tabery/Andrea Snyder
Bomb Explodes in Ivan Pilip's Garden
At 4 a.m. December 6, an explosion rocked the house of Finance
Minister Ivan Pilip. No one was injured, and except for a few broken
windows and a damaged car there were no larger material damages. The
200-gram charge of TNT, detonated with a short delay practically right
after setting, is Czech Army standard equipment and was, according to
police specialists, most probably done to intimidate the minister.
Military Police have joined the investigation. After publishing
information about the explosion in the media, the police noticed a few
anonymous phone calls which could show hints of the offender. The police
protection accompanying Pilip since attacks by a crowd of Prime Minister
Vaclav Klaus supporters on Snemovni Street (see Carolina 268), was
extended after the explosion, together with renewed observation of the
minister's residence.
Pilip said he supposes not his activities in the Civic Democratic
Party (ODS) but his intention to publish and inquire into some
questionable privatization cases brought on the bombing. However, he
said he is most disenchanted by the fact the explosion endangered,
besides his family, also his neighbors and their children, who are not
at all connected with the resigning minister's activity.
Political notables accordingly condemned the explosion as
a phenomenon not suitable for a democratic state, and one entirely
unprecedented in Czech history. President Vaclav Havel expressed his
shock with the words: "I am disgusted." Interior Minister Jindrich
Vodicka, in an interview for Czech Television, supported again the
theory of the police that the explosion was meant to intimidate Pilip.
However, considering the investigation, he refused to comment on the
anonymous phone calls. Christian Democrat Jaroslav Orel said, "I am sure
that ODS chairman Mr. Klaus has his part of complicity, although not in
a criminal but in a political sense. I believe his thanks to those who
spat on Ivan Pilip a week ago contributed to the atmosphere of
intolerance and violence with results as extreme as those today." Vaclav
Klaus sharply protested the statement.
Jan Kozanek/Denisa Vitkova
Lux Charged with Forming New Government
Vice Prime Minister, Agriculture Minister and Christian Democrat
Chairman Josef Lux was commissioned by President Vaclav Havel December
8 to form a new government. The choice was accepted by Social Democrat
Chairman Milos Zeman and Civic Democratic Alliance (ODA) Chairman Jiri
Skalicky, while outgoing Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus - chairman of the
Civic Democratic Party (ODS) - was "not surprised" by it. The
president's wish is "the nomination of a cabinet during the week after
the ODS congress (December 13-4), and its appearance in front of the
Parliament with a program resolution and a request for a vote of
confidence."
The Social Democrats demand a temporary Cabinet and insist on early
elections, which would require a change in the Constitution and thus
enable elections. The Christian Democrats would endorse this scenario
only in the case of failure to create a new cabinet. The Communists have
made their support conditional to the change in the Constitution as well
as the temporary status of the government. ODS is, above all, not even
decided yet whether to join the government at all (the verdict will come
during the weekend).
Havel and Lux agreed on the necessity of the Social Democrats'
support for the government. Klaus said the creation of a cabinet which
would be stable and tolerated by the Social Democrats is impossible.
"That is a very bad assumption, an attempt to make a square out of
a circle, a hybrid which cannot exist in our country."
Lux plans to replace the confrontational approach of the previous
coalition by introducing the "humility phenomenon" into politics and he
wants to reinforcement the people's trust by requiring full declarations
of assets for politicians. The main concern of the new Cabinet should
not be early elections but preparations for integration into NATO and
the European Union. Lux said he would also like to try to improve
healthcare.
Lux said the participation of Education Minister Jiri Grusa and
Foreign Minister Jaroslav Sedivy can help retain cabinet continuity.
Dagmar Buresova and Jan Sokol, the former Civic Movement (OH) members
and Christian Democrat candidates for the Senate, are "names, which are
also worth looking at," said Lux for daily Lidove noviny December 9.
Ivona Pulkrabkova/Ivona Pulkrabkova
Klaus Still Has Chance to Lead Party
Party leaders will be elected at the Civic Democratic Party's
special convention December 13-14. The party will also make an official
decision whether to remain in the coalition. Current Chairman Vaclav
Klaus and former Interior Minister Jan Ruml are the candidates for the
post of chairman. About 300 delegates, many of which are regional ODS
representatives, will vote.
The two candidates are running on radically different ballots. Ruml
demands that ODS takes responsibility for the state and attempts to
remain in the coalition until the planned elections in the year 2000.
Klaus supports the party's exit into a "constructive opposition." His
idea is to participate in discussions for the construction of a new
government, but to quietly support a caretaker government without ODS
until early elections, which would take place next spring or fall.
Although most of the regional representatives prefer Ruml's plan to
remain in the government, they have decided to vote for Klaus. Many of
them are nominating Ruml for the post of vice chairman. Other candidates
for vice chairman include Finance Minister Ivan Pilip (current ODS vice
chairman), Jiri Vlach (Parliament vice chairman), Miroslav Macek
(current ODS executive vice chairman), Jiri Payne (Parliament deputy)
and Vaclav Benda (senator and head of the Office for Investigation of
the Crimes of Communism).
Ondrej Drabek/Andrea Snyder
Secret Sponsoring, Continued
A new wave of events concerning political party financing has arisen
around the coalition party the Civic Democratic Alliance (ODA).
ODA Chairman Jiri Skalicky announced at a press conference December
9 that two significant foreign sponsors have given the party almost 10
million crowns. He also said he will ask all donors to supply him with
all substantial information. He said all sponsors from 1995-97 fulfilled
the legal requirements, meaning the party has at its disposal documents
identifying the sponsor. "This way of recording donations is politically
insufficient," said Skalicky to the daily Pravo December 10.
ODA received more than 52 million crowns from sponsors in 1996. Some
alleged sponsors publicly declared the money simply traveled from their
accounts to ODA, meaning they are not the real sponsors. Two important
sponsors is Nathan Landshut, a Swiss state official in Zurich who
evidently gave 9.5 million crowns, and Czech emigre Bohumil Jirak, the
general director of the Swiss company Nathan Godi's Schiede, with
a contribution of 1 million crowns.
According to Skalicky, the ODA Political Council will suggest to the
party's Central Congress not to accept any sponsor donations not
supported by reliable information concerning the donor.
In connection with ODA, TV Prima re-opened the story of how the
party received two payments of 3 million crowns each from an unknown
sponsor. The money transfer was to be mediated by the IN company, which
deals in securities.
Lenka Jindrlova/Sofia Karakeva
Former ODS Member Financially Supported Social Democrats
After the Civic Democratic Party's (ODS) sponsoring scandals, the
Social Democrats decided to end their six-month silence December 5, and
made public the name of the businessman who provided them with a loan of
8 million crowns. The party was pulled out of its financial difficulties
in the spring of this year by the Bohemex Trade company belonging to
Radim Masny, a former ODS member. The Social Democrats had said it was
not possible to release their the lender's name without his consent.
Finally, however, the party just informed him of their intentions.
The party got into trouble last spring after tax officials blocked
its accounts because of unpaid taxes. The party did not have enough
money to meet payroll, and banks refused to provide any more loans. Only
Masny was willing to offer them a one year loan with 14-per-cent
interest. "I supported Milos Zeman's party because I think that no
political party should cease its activity due a blocked account," said
Masny in the December 6 issue of daily MF DNES. He said that he, as
a conservative, does not agree with all Social Democrat policy. The
Social Democrats said they were surprised by Masny's membership in ODS.
Petr Bilek Jr./Veronika Machova
IN BRIEF
* President Vaclav Havel cannot count on unanimous support from
Civic Democratic Party deputies and senators in the January presidential
election, because of his recent comments on the political situation in
the country (see above).
* Former secret police agent Vaclav Wallis was found innocent
December 8 on five-year-old charges of providing secret information to
Czech privatization king Viktor Kozeny, founder of the Harvard funds.
* Vice Chairman of Parliament's Chamber of Deputies Karel Ledvinka
was elected chairman of the Civic Democratic Alliance's Parliament Club
by secret vote, after past chairman Ivan Masek's resignation from the
party.
* The Political Club civic association, which released its founding
declaration December 4, wants to become an alternative to present
political parties. The declaration's text is signed by 44 public
figures, including independent Parliament deputy Jozef Wagner, singer
Michael Kocab, the president's brother Ivan Havel and Dagmar Buresova,
post-1989 chairwoman of the Czech National Council in the for Federal
Parliament.
* The Senate passed a constitutional amendment establishing 14
regions, as a step leading to self-administration for the regions and
decentralization. The law has to be signed by the president.
* The two-day 16th Congress of the Czech-Moravian Chamber of Unions
which began December 9 discussed the current situation in the labor
movement, politics, and collective bargaining.
Gabriela Podzimkova, Jan Puncochar/Veronika Machova
FROM SLOVAKIA
Meciar's Vulgar Jokes Offend Czech President and Prime Minister
Slovak Premier Vladimir Meciar reacted to the Czech government
crisis at a meeting of the Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS),
December 4 in the Na Pasienkoch Hall in Bratislava. He expressed his
full support of resigning Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus and added: "If
some kind of government comes out of this putsch, I'm not going to meet
with a putsch prime minister."
Meciar entertained the public with vulgar jokes, in which he
insulted the Czech presidential couple, Havel's late first wife Olga and
Klaus. Meciar said there is going to be a new Czech bank note with the
presidential couple in bed on the front and Klaus and the crown getting
screwed on the back. Thunderous applause and laughter followed the joke.
Meciar received diplomatic notes from the Czech side concerning his
impertinent remarks. Deputy Foreign Minister Karel Kovanda presented
a note to Slovak ambassador Ivan Mjartan December 5 in which he
protested against Meciar's jokes. Czech politicians, including Havel,
have refused to comment on the affronts.
Many politicians and citizens in Slovakia have expressed their
opposition to Meciar's comments. Peter Weiss, a chief representative of
the opposition Party of the Democratic Left, said it is not realistic to
expect an apology from Meciar. "The vulgarity of the Slovak premier has
exceeded all bounds. There is nothing we can do except be quietly
ashamed and hope our Czech friends know there are not many people like
Meciar in Slovakia." Dozens of Slovaks have called Bratislava's Radio
Twist in a panic: "Where do we live, when our Premier is such
a primitive. I am not sure whether I can ask for this, but anyway I have
to ask the Czechs for forgiveness," said one of radio listeners. Slovak
Foreign Ministry spokesman Milan Tokar said Meciar's remarks should not
affect relations between the two countries.
Nora Novakova/Ajla Zinhasovic
SLOVAKIA IN BRIEF
* Czech Foreign Minister Jaroslav Sedivy cancelled a meeting with
his Slovak counterpart planned for December 12. Although Sedivy did not
comment on his decision, it is widely thought the cancellation stems
from Slovak Premier Vladimir Meciar's rude statements about the Czech
president and prime minister.
* According to the press, Slovak Premier Vladimir Meciar cancelled
all press conferences after Cabinet meetings December 4 because of
journalists' questions about Meciar's new female adviser Blazena
Martinkova. The head of the Jurnalists' Syndicate of Slovakia, Jan
Fuelle, reminded Meciar that the government is required by law to inform
the media.
Michal Cerny/Matej Cerny
ECONOMY
* Czech National Bank (CNB) Governor Josef Tosovsky met his Slovak
counterpart Vladimir Masar in Brno December 5. They discussed the
problems remaining from the split of Czechoslovakia and the consequent
split of the Czechoslovak State Bank. The National Bank of Slovakia
(NBS) claims the right to 4.1 tons of Czech gold. The Czechs do not deny
Slovakia's right to the gold, but have they have their own claim - 24.7
billion crowns in Slovak debt. The governors did not resolve the issues
and agreed to continue the negotiations. The CNB proposed that some
issues could be resolved by a third party.
* Prices rose by 0.4 per cent in November, leaving 12-month
inflation at 10.1 per cent. The sliding scale of inflation grew to 8.8
per cent. The items registering the largest price increases were food
and clothing, making for two-thirds of inflation growth. According to
new estimates from the Finance Ministry, inflation for 1997 will be
between 9.9 per cent and 10.1 per cent. The figures were released by the
Czech Statistics Office December 8.
* Parliament recommended to the resigning government December 3 to
stop the privatization of the three biggest banks: Commerce Bank
(Komercni banka), the Czech Savings Bank (Ceska sporitelna) and the
Czechoslovak Trade Bank (Ceskoslovenska obchodni banka).
* Finance Minister Ivan Pilip asked the chairman of the National
Property Fund to stop the privatization of the Investment and Postal
Bank (IPB) December 5. The government already agreed on the
privatization of IPB. The buyer chosen for the bank - Nomura - is now
waiting for the results of an audit, which should set the bank's price.
Madyar Magauin, Jaroslav Mares, Ludvik Pospisil/Matej Cerny
Exchange Rates at the Czech National Bank
(valid from December 12)
country currency
------------------------------------------
Australia 1 AUD 23.325
Belgium 100 BEF 95.435
Britain 1 GBP 57.931
Denmark 1 DKK 5.167
Finland 1 FIM 6.523
France 1 FRF 5.878
Ireland 1 IEP 50.968
Italy 1000 ITL 20.101
Japan 100 JPY 27.131
Canada 1 CAD 24.548
Luxemburg 100 LUF 95.435
Hungary 100 HUF 17.383
Netherlands 1 NLG 17.464
Norway 1 NOK 4.835
New Zealand 1 NZD 20.962
Poland 1 PLN 9.870
Poretugal 100 PTE 19.267
Austria 1 ATS 2.797
Greece 100 GRD 12.518
Slovakia 100 SKK 101.344
Germany 1 DEM 19.680
Spain 100 ESP 23.288
Sweden 1 SEK 4.497
Switzerland 1 CHF 24.321
USA 1 USD 34.963
ECU 1 XEU 38.957
SDR 1 XDR 47.300
CULTURE
"That was life? Well, once more!"
One of the most remarkable personalities in Czech intellectual and
spiritual life, Catholic priest and Charles University professor Tomas
Halik, has released a new book called Tomas Halik - I Asked the Paths.
Halik, Czech Christian Academy president and Saint Salvator church
rector, is considered a unique mediator of dialogue between believers
and atheists in the Czech Republic.
A biographical interview with Jan Jandourek, the book is Halik's
personal testimony of seeking his own path in his spiritual and social
life. It provides a look into all the unusual worlds Halik has been
through - his publisher father's close relationship with Karel Capek,
pre-World War II Czechoslovakia's most honored writer, the student
movement at Prague and British universities in the 60's, the underground
church and illegal seminars in apartments, Vatican inner circles, Prague
Catholic Theological University, buddhist monasteries in India and
American universities. Halik also recalls Czech and foreign celebrities
from religious, political and cultural life and meditates about
postmodern spirituality, mysticism, interfaith dialogue and global
cultural problems.
"(The book) means some sort of cleansing before my 50th birthday.
It is a dialogue that I would also like to invite my readers into, so
they could do some thinking on their own life's path. I often think of
Zarathustra, who says at the end of his life:'That was life? Well, once
more!'. While thinking about my path to this point I tried to approve of
it, with all its complexities and ambiguities," Halik said to Carolina.
Jana Ciglerova/Jana Ciglerova
Immortal Prague Select
After almost 10 years the legendary Czech rock band Prague Select
(Prazsky vyber) December 5 released another studio album, called Ber.
Music writers and students were invited to vote on various album covers
since November 17.
Prague Select frontman Michael Kocab said Ber is situated in the
band's discography between the album Vyber and a planned opus entitled
Er. All 12 new songs are originals, only Vlasta Tresnak, a famous
underground songwriter, co-wrote some lyrics and Marta Minarik, from the
popular band Lucie, recorded some bass parts.
The original line-up, consisting of singer and pianist Kocab,
guitarist Michal Pavlicek, bassist and singer Vilem Cok and drummer
Klaudius Kryspin, is also planning on some live performances. Kryspin,
who emigrated to Australia in the 80's and still resides there, will
play in the concerts.
Pavel Turek/Jana Ciglerova
SPORT
Czech Women Handball Players Sent Home by Korea
The Czech women's handball national team fulfilled its goal to
advance from its basic group in the world championships in Germany. They
assured themselves of the advance after their fourth match, defeating
Slovenia 31-28 December 6. After they tied with Macedonia 24-24, they
finished fourth in the group's standings and advanced to the round of
sixteen, facing the winner of group C and 1995 world champions Korea.
The Czech gave Korea a good match December 9. At the end of the
half they trailed the Asian team 10-16, and although they managed to cut
the lead to 20-21, Korea took advantage of its experience and defended
its lead. The match finished 26-29.
"What can we do, let's go home," Czech team coach Vojtech Mares
said. Korean coach Jae-Young Lee said he had not expected such a good
opponent.
David Kozohorsky/Mirek Langer
Trinec Returns to Extraleague Top Spot
Trinec Zelezarny's hockey players returned to first place in the
extraleague standings after defeating Zlin 5-3 in the league's 32nd
round. Forwards Straub and Zima, traded between the teams, did not play
in the match, as the teams had agreed. Straub returned to Zlin after two
years and revived a previously productive line with Janku and Meluzin.
In the 31st round the line scored all five of Zlin's goals against
Slavia.
Vitkovice lost at Sparta 3-7 and fell into third place, Vsetin is
second. At the bottom of the standings is Opava.
Results: 30th round: Zlin - Ceske Budejovice 1:1, Trinec - Slavia
Praha 3:1, Litvinov
- Karlovy Vary 7:2, Opava - Jihlava 3:5, Plzen
- Vitkovice 4:0, Pardubice
- Kladno 5:2, Sparta Praha - Vsetin 0:2.
31st round: Vsetin - Trinec 2:5, Vitkovice - Pardubice 7:3,
Jihlava
- Plzen 3:1, Karlovy Vary - Opava 2:2, Ceske Budejovice
- Litvinov 2:2, Slavia Praha
- Zlin 5:5, Kladno - Sparta Praha 2:4.
32nd round: Trinec - Zlin 5:3, Opava - Ceske Budejovice 1:0,
Litvinov
- Slavia Praha 1:2, Plzen - Karlovy Vary 8:2, Kladno - Vsetin
2:4, Pardubice
- Jihlava 3:3, Sparta Praha - Vitkovice 7:3.
Standings: 1. Trinec 44 pts., 2. Vsetin 43, 3. Vitkovice 42, 4.
Sparta Praha 36,
5. Plzen 36, 6. Slavia Praha 36, 7. Litvinov 35, 8.
Jihlava 34, 9. Pardubice
31, 10. Zlin 28, 11. Ceske Budejovice 26, 12.
Kladno 22, 13. Karlovy Vary 18,
14. Opava 17
Jiri Polak/Mirek Langer
WEATHER
The weather, as well as the current political situation here, did
not undergo any significant changes from last week. At least the heavy
rains have stopped, but that is the only change. Average night
temperatures did not exceed 2 degrees Celsius/35 degrees Fahrenheit, and
daytime temperatures were between 2 degrees Celsius and 4 degrees
Celsius/35 degrees Fahrenheit and 39 degrees Fahrenheit. It seems the
Ice Queen was betrayed by her elves, as she lost control of snow
distribution and left the Czech lands barren. The promenade on St.
Nicholas' Day did not possess a white atmosphere; nevertheless, the
celebration fully ignited the pre-Christmas mood.
Gabriela Pecic/Gabriela Pecic
English version edited by Michael Bluhm
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