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Carolina (English) No 274
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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 274, Friday, January 30, 1998.
FROM THE EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK (January 21 - 28)
The Government Struggles For Approval of The Parliament
After two days of discussion, Prime Minister Josef Tosovsky's
government received the confidence of Parliament January 28. The
goverment was supported by 123 of 197 present deputies. Support had been
assured from the Christian Democrats (18 votes), the Civic Democratic
Alliance (11 votes for, two against) and the Freedom Union (32 votes).
The 58 Social Democrat votes were decisive, and were gained by
Tosovsky's acceptance of the party's conditions for support. The Cabinet
was also supported by two independent deputies and two deputies from the
Civic Democratic Party. Votes against the government came from the
Communists (22), the neo-Fascist Republicans (18) and, aside from three
absent deputies, the Civic Democratic Party, which expressed
disagreement with the formation of the government and called the
government's program vague.
Although commentators were giving Tosovsky's government January 26
a good chance to survive the confidence vote - mainly because of the
declared support of Social Democrats - soon after discussion in the
Chamber of Deputies began it was clear the Cabinet would pass the
confidence for free. Even President Vaclav Havel's speech, in which he
appealed to the deputies to support the government and defended his role
in its formation, did not change the situation.
The government program focuses on joining both NATO and EU,
improving the legal system, to pass a Higher Education Act and making
the financing of political parties more transparent. On an economic
level the cabinet intends to support the Czech National Bank and its
efforts to keep the inflation low, and to maintain a balanced budget
(Tosovsky said the previous government tolerated living on debt and now
the time has come to pay the debt). The Cabinet, however, insists on
price deregulation, which brought it into conflict with the Social
Democrats.
Social Democrat Chairman Milos Zeman's party (the strongest in the
200-seat Parliament) decided to make its support conditional: the
government will present a detailed schedule of price deregulation and
bank privatization and ensures safety nets to soften the impact of
deregulation.
Veronika Machova/Veronika Machova
Tosovsky Holds Popularity Record
Prime Minister Josef Tosovsky has in a short time won over an
incredible 85 per cent of poll respondents and become the most popular
politician in the Czech Republic. The information was provided by both
the STEM and Factum agencies. Second place belongs to Social Democrat
Vice Chairwoman Petra Buzkova (81 per cent), while party colleagues
Stanislav Gross (74 per cent) and Chairman Milos Zeman (53 per cent) are
becoming more and more popular. On the other hand, former Prime Minister
Vaclav Klaus' position in public opinion fell to one of its lowest
levels: only 24 per cent of respondents trust him.
Veronika Machova/Veronika Machova
Republican Leader Released from Prison
The Prague 1 Regional Court pronounced a not guilty verdict on
neo-Fascist Republican Chairman Miroslav Sladek January 23. Sladek, who
was accused of initiating racial and national hatred in connection with
his speech on the day the Czech-German Declaration was signed last year,
has spent three weeks in jail and his absence during the presidential
election last week (see Carolina 273) led the Republicans to complain to
the Constitutional Court, casting doubt upon the legitimacy of the
re-election of President Vaclav Havel. Sladek gave his speech while he
was on probation for another crime, and could therefore have been
sentenced to a penalty of 250,000 crowns or to imprisonment for up to
two years.
Veronika Machova/Veronika Machova
7.5 Million Crowns More of Secret ODS Funds Revealed
The Civic Democratic Party (ODS), which admitted last year it had
received 7.5 million crowns from Milan Srejber and covered it under the
fictive sponsor names of Bacs and Sinha, received the same amount one
month earlier, in December 1995. An employee of the 1st Silas Group,
a shareholder in Moravia Steel, which privatized the Trinec Ironworks
(Trinecke zelezarny), deposited cash directly into the party's account,
ODS leader and finance committee member Ludvik Rosch told Carolina.
Rosch said former ODS Deputy Chairman Libor Novak is to speak on the
sponsor subject at the second and last meeting of the ODS finance
committee, which was formed to investigate the Bacs and Sinha gifts.
Rosch could not say why the committee did not know of the other sum. He
added that he left the committee because he was not satisfied.
Former Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus acknowledged the existence of
the 7.5 million crowns January 24. He was not able to explain where the
money was accounted for in the required list of contributions of more
than 100,000 crowns. Neither the 7.5 million crowns nor the name of
Silas is on the list.
ODS may not receive state funding because of the incomplete list of
sponsors. Party members, including Novak, who are responsible for party
finances may be convicted of falsifying trade information or tax
evasion. If ODS listed the donation in several smaller donations under
several different names, they evaded the tax which increases in
proportion to the donation.
Ondrej Drabek/Andrea Snyder
Freedom Union Registers as Party and Negotiates with ODA
The Freedom Union (US), formed by former members of the Civic
Democratic Party (ODS), was officially registered as a political party
at the Interior Ministry January 23. Former Interior Minister Jan Ruml
chairs the party, which holds 32 seats in Parliament.
The new party is to start talks on forming a coalition with the
Civic Democratic Alliance (ODA) next week, after voter preference poll
results are known. If the parties separately receive 7 per cent of
potential votes, they will run on separate platforms in the Parliament
elections expected in June. Should they each receive less than the 7 per
cent required of a two-party coalition to enter Parliament, they will
unite forces. New Parliament deputy and author Andrej Gjuric took
another vote from ODS January 27 and joined the Freedom Union
immediately afterwards.
Also two Chamber of Deputies vice chairmen, former ODS deputies Jiri
Vlach and Jiri Honajzer, joined the Freedom Union. Although ODS Chairman
Vaclav Klaus did not insist a week ago that former ODS deputies should
returned their Parliament functions to the ODS, at a press conference
January 24 he appealed the Freedom Union to return the Parliament
offices. Honajzer has already promised to do so. His position as
chairman of the ODS Parliament Club has been assumed by Vlastimil
Tlusty.
Ondrej Drabek/Andrea Snyder
Election Law Amendment would Enable Voting from Abroad
An amendment to the Election Act would make it possible for Czechs
living outside the Czech Republic to vote in the early Parliament
elections expected in June. Interior Minister Cyril Svoboda in the daily
Slovo January 22 said the amendment can only be passed quickly if
a state of legislative emergency would be declared. He added that it
would be worth it, to enable expatriates to vote.
The proposed amendment would make it possible for Czechs to vote at
embassies, which would fax the results to Prague. The Chamber of
Deputies election votes would be added to the votes from Prague. The
Senate election votes would be valid in three electoral districts in the
Czech Republic assigned to three different global regions. Like domestic
voters, Czechs abroad would vote once in six years for candidates in
their regions.
This fall, Czechs in North and South America would choose from
candidates in Usti nad Labem, in two years, those living in Africa and
Australia would vote for senators in the city of Ostrava and in 2002,
Czechs in Asia and Europe would choose Znojmo candidates. The chosen
districts have the smallest populations of any electoral districts.
There are still several issues to be resolved in the amendment. No
one knows how many Czechs are living abroad, and steps would have to be
taken to ensure that some do not vote twice. Estimates on the number of
expatriate Czechs range from 60,000 to millions, including those who
left the country in the 1970's and kept their citizenship.
Other alternatives exist. Parliament deputy Jiri Payne of the Civic
Democratic Party proposes voting by mail, saying the secrecy of voting
may not be ensured with the proposed amendment. Other senators cannot
imagine campaigning. Political parties say the only way to reach
expatriate voters is over the Internet.
Katerina Murlova/Andrea Snyder
Future Fund Finally Definite
Eight members of the board of directors were named January 26 to
lead the Future Fund, established in the Czech-German Declaration.
Germany is represented by Sudetenland Regional Association member
Volkmar Gaber, Bavarian Provincial Parliament deputy Johann Bohm,
Bundestag deputy Max Stadler and German ambassador in Prague Anton
Rossbach.
The Czech Republic appointed former Czech National Council Chairman
Dagmar Buresova, former ambassador to Israel Milos Pojar, Czech Radio
Religion section manager Milos Rejchrt and historian Miroslav Kunstat.
Compensation to Czech victims of Nazism will be the fund's primary task.
Jana Ciglerova/Jana Ciglerova
IN BRIEF
* Czech police January 22 temporarily detained Petr Mach, enterpreneur
and former owner of the soccer club Sparta Praha, while investigating an
alleged insurance fraud, which could carry a 12-year prison term. After
being released January 23, Mach said the police were also interested in
his contacts with former Civic Democratic Party (ODS) Vice Chairman Petr
Cermak in connection with the ODS financial scandals.
* Social Democrat Senator Jan Kavan drove after drinking January 22 and
caused damage to several parked vehicles in Prague's Mala Strana.
* The Supreme Court fulfilled the request of the Justice Minister
Vlasta Parkanova and annulled its previous resolution to suspend charges
against former Communist leaders Milous Jakes and Jozef Lenart, who are
accused of high treason for their role in the Soviet occupation in
1968. The investigation will resume.
Eva Fronkova, Veronika Machova/Veronika Machova
FROM SLOVAKIA
Presidential Meeting in Levoca
Eleven central European presidents met January 23-24 in Levoca,
Slovakia. The fifth such meeting, held several months earlier than usual
because of Slovak President Michal Kovac's dwindling time in office, was
held to express support for countries not invited to European Union
expansion negotiations.
The annual presidential meeting of eight European countries
- Poland, Hungary, Italy, Slovakia, Austria, Slovenia and the Czech
Republic - was enlarged this year to include Bulgaria, Romania and
Ukraine.
Though originally conceived as a forum for the idea of the civil
society, this meeting resulted in an expression of support and
appreciation for Kovac, who said the summit was clear evidence of the
non-existence of an international conspiracy against Slovakia.
After the official gathering, Czech President Vaclav Havel secretly
met Slovak opposition politicians.
Jana Ciglerova/Jana Ciglerova
ECONOMY
December Foreign Trade Balance Ends in Record Deficit
The balance of Czech foreign trade in December ended with a deficit
of 18.3 billion crowns. It is the highest one-month deficit ever, and
significantly contributed to the total 1997 trade-balance deficit of
140.8 billion crowns.
According to analysts, December's deficit stems from the crown's
slide related to political unstability. The Czech National Bank is
considering raising interest rates in order to prevent another decrease.
Ondrej Drabek/Sofia Karakeva
FNM and Nomura Sign IPB Contract
Representatives of the National Property Fund (FNM) agreed December
21 on the terms of a contract with the Nomura Japanese banking house on
the sale of the FNM's shares in the Investment and Postal Bank (IPB).
For 36 per cent of IPB's shares, the FNM will receive 2.9 billion
crowns, and there will also be a capital injection of 6 billion crowns
and a bond issue in the same amount. The sale price works out to 147
crowns per share.
FNM Chairman Roman Ceska said the deal is not closed yet, because
the contracts have to be approved by Nomura's headquarters in Japan and
by the Czech government.
David Kozohorsky/Sofia Karakeva
Exchange Rates at the Czech National Bank
(valid from January 30)
country currency
------------------------------------------
Australia 1 AUD 23.590
Belgium 100 BEF 93.797
Great Britain 1 GBP 57.487
Denmark 1 DKK 5.078
Finland 1 FIM 6.390
France 1 FRF 5.776
Ireland 1 IEP 48.471
Italy 1000 ITL 19.606
Japan 100 JPY 27.955
Canada 1 CAD 23.997
Luxemburg 100 LUF 93.797
Hungary 100 HUF 16.950
Netherlands 1 NLG 17.168
Norway 1 NOK 4.646
New Zealand 1 NZD 20.610
Poland 1 PLN 9.937
Portugal 100 PTE 18.901
Austria 1 ATS 2.751
Greece 100 GRD 12.202
Slovakia 100 SKK 99.127
Germany 1 DEM 19.350
Spain 100 ESP 22.808
Sweden 1 SEK 4.350
Switzerland 1 CHF 23.955
USA 1 USD 34.977
ECU 1 XEU 38.155
SDR 1 XDR 47.278
CULTURE
Emil Filla Painting Sells for almost 3 Million Crowns
Czech cubist Emil Filla's Still Life with Lute, Pitcher and Fruit,
an oil on canvas from 1929, was sold for a Czech record 2.9 million
crowns January 24 at a Prague art auction. The starting price of 1.17
million crowns was also unusually high. The picture will supposedly stay
in a domestic private collection.
Also, Antonin Prochazka's Gathering Fruit and Vaclav Spala's
Landscape, both from 1928, were sold at the auction - the buyers paid
more than 500,000 crowns for each work.
Eva Fronkova/Denisa Vitkova
Prague Febiofest at Full Speed
On January 22 Czech director Pavel Marek's comedy Dead Beetle
(Mrtvej brouk) opened the fifth annual Febiofest festival of
international film, television and video (see Carolina 273). Since
January 23, the festival has been at full speed in six Prague movie
theaters; in early February the show of (mostly) non-commercial film and
television production will stop at eight Czech and five Slovak cities.
First-run Feature films, documentaries and short films from all
corners of the world are on the program. Most criticism and argument
centers around the satirical Czech Soda (Ceska soda), the first Czech
movie first released on video.
Since 1993, 16 episodes of Czech Soda have been made, in which the
creators tried to create a report on life in the post-velvet Klaus era.
From its beginning, the program has been constantly criticized in the
press, whereas young people have accepted it enthusiastically. Czech
Soda is the original idea of Febiofest Director Fero Fenic.
Eva Fronkova/Denisa Vitkova
More Information on Charles University Contest
In connection with Charles University's 650th anniversary, Rector
Karel Maly has announced an international essay contest Universities
after the Year 2000, in which students from any college or university in
the world can participate (see Carolina 273).
The essay can be written in any genre, only the length is limited
for 10-25 pages with 1.5 line spacing. The essays, which can be
submitted in all world languages, must be handed in by June 30. The Maly
will announce the results by the end of August. Parts of bachelor,
master's or doctoral work can be sent to the contest, but only if these
work as a whole have not been published yet.
The three best articles will receive financial awards of 30,000
crowns, 20,000 crowns and 15,000 crowns, respectively, and the winners
will also be able to take part in the conference The University and Its
Students in September, where they will meet the rector.
Eva Fronkova/Denisa Vitkova
SPORTS
Korda Advances to Australian Open Semifinal
Thirty-year-old Petr Korda advanced to his first Grand Slam
tournament semifinal in six years, in Melbourne. He will meet Karol
Kucera of Slovakia, who defeated world number one Pete Sampras of the
United States 6-4, 6-2, 6-7 and 6-3.
In the quarterfinals, Korda defeated world number four Jonas
Bjorkman of Sweden 3-6, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 and 6-2. After his win he said he
fought till he heard the umpire say "game, set, match." He said he was
happy he won despite not playing too well.
Korda defeated Australia's Draper 3 sets to 0, the American Spadea
3-0 and France's Cedric Pioline 3-1 in earlier rounds.
David Kozohorsky/Mirek Langer
After deadline: Korda defeated Kucera and moved into the final.
Junior Ski Relay Wins Gold in World Championships
The Czech juniors Pelc, Havlin, Biman and Koukal finished first in
the 4x10 kilometers relay in the World Championships in St. Moritz,
Switzerland. From the remaining 20 teams, Norway finished second and
Italy third.
David Kozohorsky/Mirek Langer
Vsetin Gets Bronze in European Hockey League Final
Petra Vsetin hockey players recorded the greatest club result of the
Czech Republic in the 90's. In Feldkirch, Austria, they finished third
in the final tournament of the European Hockey League. The team from
Moravia lost a semifinal match to the home team 2-3 in overtime. Then
they defeated the Russians from Torpedo Yaroslavl 3-1 (goals by
Stantien, Srsen and Belohlav). In the final, the Russian team Dynamo
Moscow lost to Feldkirch 3-5.
David Kozohorsky/Mirek Langer
Hockey Extraleague Plays Three More Rounds
Sparta Praha goalie Milan Hnilicka's shutout streak ended after 169
minutes when Pardubice's Pacal scored in the 17th minute of the 41st
round match. In the next round, Hnilicka let three pucks get past him in
the first period and was benched in Trinec, which defeated Sparta 4-2.
And in the third big match, Sparta lost to Vsetin, although it was
better through all match. But it was Roman Cechmanek who recorded
another shutout, just like Prusek from Vitkovice and Barta from
Pardubice.
Results of the 41st round: Ceske Budejovice - Trinec 7-2, Kladno -
Opava 4-2, Karlovy Vary - Slavia Praha 2-2, Sparta Praha - Pardubice
2-1, Jihlava - Zlin 0-1, Vitkovice - Litvinov 1-1.
Results of the 42nd round: Vitkovice - Opava 4-2, Litvinov - Jihlava
4-4, Zlin - Karlovy Vary 5-2, Plzen - Kladno 7-1, Slavia Praha - Ceske
Budejovice 1-1, Trinec - Sparta Praha 4-2.
Results of the 43rd round: Ceske Budejovice - Zlin 6-1, Jihlava -
Opava 8-3, Karlovy Vary - Litvinov 3-2, Kladno - Pardubice 0-4,
Vitkovice - Plzen 5-0, Vsetin - Sparta Praha 2-0, Slavia Praha - Trinec
5-5.
Standings: 1. Vitkovice 57 points, 2. Trinec 57, 3. Vsetin 55, 4.
Sparta Praha 52, 5. Slavia Praha 49, 6. Litvinov 47, 7. Plzen 47, 8.
Jihlava 44, 9. Zlin 43, 10. Ceske Budejovice 41, 11. Pardubice 38, 12.
Kladno 29, 13. Karlovy Vary 24, 14. Opava 19.
David Kozohorsky/Mirek Langer
WEATHER
Winter is here, with daily temperatures around minus 5 degrees
Celsius/23 degrees Fahrenheit. A cold wind blows and some snowflakes
fall. The mountains are covered by a blanket of snow. In the Czech
metropolis, only Prague Castle is under snow. More snowing is expected.
Ondrej Drabek/Sofia Karakeva
English version edited by Michael Bluhm
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