Copy Link
Add to Bookmark
Report
Carolina (English) No 273
CCCCC AA RRRRR OOOO LL II NN N AA
CC AA A RR R OO O LL II NNN N AA A
CC AA A RRRRR OO O LL II NN N N AA A
CC AAAAAA RR R OO O LL II NN NN AAAAAA
CCCCC AA A RR R OOOO LLLLLL II NN N AA A
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 273, Friday, January 23, 1998.
FROM THE EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK (January 14 - 21)
Vaclav Havel Elected for Second Term as Czech President January 20
At their first ever joint session, the two houses of the Czech
Parliament re-elected President Vaclav Havel for a second five-year
term. In the first round of voting, he came up of an overall majority in
both Houses, despite coming in way ahead of the other two candidates,
Communist Stanislav Fischer and neo-Fascist Republican Chairman Miroslav
Sladek.
Neither of the other candidates won enough votes to proceed into the
second round, so Havel thus required only a majority of present members
of both houses to be re-elected. In the end he scraped through by one
vote in the Chamber of Deputies, with the votes of 99 of 197 present
deputies, and 47 of 81 present senators.
After the result was announced, Republican Vice Chairman Jan Vik
said his party did not respect the result because Sladek was not allowed
to vote. Sladek is in police custody in jail, and shortly before voting
began the assembly voted not to allow him to take part. Vik said he
would take party's objections to the Constitutional Court. First lady
Dagmar Havlova reacted to Vik's last words "You should be ashamed, Mr.
Havel," with two sharp whistles.
Jana Ciglerova/Jana Ciglerova
Reactions
Carolina asked some politicians what the re-election of Vaclav
Havel as president meant to them. Foreign Minister Jaroslav Sedivy said
it "is a guarantee of stability of e foreign policy and of the
country's international position. Havel is considered an arbiter in the
internal political quarrels, and if there are any constants in the Czech
Republic, it is definitely Havel."
Jan Ruml, chairman of the Parliamentary Club of the new Freedom
Union, said Havel "is the only one to fulfill perfectly the demanding
criteria placed on the presidency. If he were not re-elected, it would
mean massive complications on the international and domestic scene."
According to Christian Democrat Chairman Josef Lux, "the Czech
Republic sent the outside world a signal of continuity and stability."
This opinion is shared by Justice Minister Vlasta Parkanova: "Havel is
a man of extraordinary qualities and power, (re-election) is the best
possible signal."
"Considering that 70 per cent of the people supporting Vaclav
Havel, the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate proved they reflect the
electorate's opinion. It was the only possible choice," said to Carolina
Health Minister Zuzana Roithova.
Jana Ciglerova/Veronika Machova
Approval of Government in Jeopardy: Tosovsky Threatens Resignation
The meeting of the chairmen of parliamentary parties carried out on
the eve of the presidential election ended in the Prime Minister Josef
Tosovsky's surprising statement. In response to the changing attitudes
of political parties, he said that if the delays and lack of clarity
continue he might resign.
Civic Democratic Party (ODS) Chairman Vaclav Klaus criticized the
choice of the bill of the Sale of State-Owned Land Act to connect to the
vote of confidence in the Cabinet; if Parliament does not vote on the
bill in the period set by the law, it will lead to early elections (see
Carolina 272). "The bill has a great symbolism and suggests much about
the future of transformation," said Klaus, supporting his party's
opinion. Christian Democrat Chairman Josef Lux said it is another
obstruction and excuse for not approving the Government.
The position of the strongest (after the Parliamentary Club of the
Freedom Union left ODS) parliamentary party, the Social Democrats, is
also uncertain. In his last statement for the press, Chairman Milos
Zeman said he is preparing to call on his deputies to approve the
Government if it gives up its plans for bank privatization and price
deregulation. Zeman said the Social Democrats realize the fall of the
Cabinet could postpone the term of the elections.
The neo-Fascist Republicans have already said they would support
any government that would lead to early elections. Meanwhile, the
Government can be sure of the support of the Christian Democrats, the
Civic Democratic Alliance and the Freedom Union. The vote of confidence
will take place January 27.
Jan Kozanek/Veronika Machova
Freedom Union Enlarges Number of Conservative Parties
At a meeting in Litomysl January 17 the Civic Democratic Party's
(ODS) platform was re-worked into the basis for a new conservative
political party, the Freedom Union (Unie Svobody - US). Its
representatives pin their hopes on early elections, which, they say,
should bring them at least 20 seats (10-per-cent support) in the Chamber
of Deputies. The first meeting was carried out as a sort of burning of
bridges between ODS and its former platform.
"The Freedom Union will seek a different political style, but also
a rather different type of political party, where policy is not created
in the party's offices but in public," said Jan Ruml, its candidate for
chairman, in the January 19 issue of daily MF DNES.
US deputy Martin Syka said no former ODS leaders should be part of
US leadership (elections will take place in about a month). Jiri
Honajzer, who, like Syka, left the ODS Parliamentary Club, warns against
unnecessary personal screening: "This party must not become a space for
resuscitating political corpses. But let's be honest: Who of us here is
not a little bit of a political corpse?"
US founded on January 20 its parliamentary club (consisting of 28
members) and Ruml was elected chairman. The aims of the new party's
policy were shown by their full support for President Vaclav Havel's
re-election and its declaration of approval of Prime Minister Josef
Tosovsky's Cabinet.
Erik Tabery/Veronika Machova
More on ODS Vice-Chairman Bohdan Dvorak's Exit
Bohdan Dvorak left the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) because he could
not change its negative perception in the eyes of the media and because
party leaders would not cooperate with the police during investigations
of ODS financial scandals. He left the post January 15, one month and
one day after having taken it.
Dvorak said his party colleagues did not support his work to clear
up party finances. He called ODS Vice Chairman Miroslav Macek "the most
passionate opponent of releasing all documents."
Dvorak was a founding member of the Civic Forum in 1989, and from
1990-1993 he chaired the Club of Engaged Independents (KAN), which he
left five years ago to join ODS. Dvorak is considered one of the most
honorable members of ODS, and is considering whether to remain in the
party.
ODS has already granted the police travel documents, while Vice
Chairwoman Libuse Benesova and Senator Jan Voracek are the guarantors of
the party finance investigations.
Jana Ciglerova/Andrea Snyder
Josef Zieleniec Says All the Good Guys Are Leaving ODS
Former Foreign Minister and Civic Democratic Party (ODS) Vice
Chairman Josef Zieleniec January 20 became the most recent member to
leave the party. He said it was because he does not want to belong to
among for whom "lying and financial machinations is a legitimate form of
policy." Zieleniec's unexpected resignation from his post as minister
last October was one of the first causes of ODS's current crisis.
"This party really can't be reformed from the inside," he said when
he left party leadership talks January 16. The party branch he left
a few days later (West Prague) is chaired by Alexander Tomsky, who
studied journalism in Prague, and international relations, philosophy
and theology in London, where he published the works of Vaclav Havel and
philosopher Vaclav Belohradsky. He is now a member of the Freedom Union,
which officially split from ODS January 17.
Jana Ciglerova/Andrea Snyder
Macek Reported to Have Founded Company with ODS Money
Czech daily Pravo reported November 17 that Civic Democratic Party
(ODS) Vice Chairman Miroslav Macek, party manager Tomas Ratiborsky and
other ODS leaders founded the Society for Political Education
(Spolecnost pro politicke vzdelavani). It is strange that the company
did not make a monetary deposit when it was created, according to Czech
commercial regulations. Its account could also serve to receive
donations for ODS, the paper said.
Macek rejected speculation about the company being a cover for
unethical financing, saying the only financial connection is that the
party gave them a loan until the organization could be classified
a foundation and raise enough money.
Jan Kozanek/Andrea Snyder
ODS Finance Inspection Results to Be Ready before Elections
The Civic Democratic Party (ODS) contracted the independent
accounting firm Deloitte and Touche to audit the party by the end of
April, i.e., before the election campaign. The audit will be of the the
party's 1996-97 finances. ODS has announced that it will have to take
out a 4-million-crown loan to pay for the audit. Petr Cermak was in
charge of most of the finances in question.
Jana Ciglerova/Andrea Snyder
Another Romany Family Attacked
On the night of January 16-17, an unknown man threw a Molotov
cocktail through a Romany (Gypsy) family's window in Krnov. The fire
immediately spread through the apartment, where a woman was badly burned
as she tried to save her children from the flames. Less than a hour
after what was probably a racially motivated crime, someone set fire to
a car belonging to another Romany family.
The woman was taken to the hospital with second- and third-degree
burns. Her husband was left at home with minor burns on his leg. The
family claims to have been threatened twice last year with Molotov
cocktails.
Deputy Interior Minister Vojtech Sedlacek and Police President
Oldrich Tomasek immediately visited the family. Krnov Mayor Bedrich
Marek promised the city would find a replacement apartment for the
family.
Erik Tabery/Andrea Snyder
Social Democrats Clear Winners in Polls
According to two independent opinion polls conducted in January by
the Institute for Public Opinion Research (IVVM) and by the Center for
Empirical Research (STEM), the former ruling Civic Democratic Party's
(ODS) voter preference fell to an all-time low of 15 per cent. The
Social Democrats has, on the contrary, strenghtened its position and has
twice as many followers as the ODS (32 per cent). The Civic Democratic
Alliance (ODA) registered a definite improvement by increasing its voter
preference to 7 per cent. One STEM analyst said the ODA and Freedom
Union together could get 10 per cent of the vote in the next election,
and that to enter the election as independent parties could be a risk.
The Christian Democrats are still maintaining their steady support of
11 per cent.
Surprisingly, both opinion polls do not indicate any improvement for
extreme right-wing and left-wing parties, which could have benefited
from the political crisis. However, the Communists (10 per cent) and
neo-fascist Republicans (about 5 per cent) usually get more votes in the
elections, because some of their supporters are afraid to state their
preference in polls.
Katerina Murlova/Milan Smid
Son of Exile Writer Ota Filip Commits Suicide
Pavel Filip, son of Czech writer Ota Filip (who has lived in Germany
since the 70's), was found dead at his home January 14. A farewell
letter and a will found with Pavel Filip suggest Pavel Filip committed
suicide.
According to his longtime friend Peter Spielmann, Pavel Filip was
deeply affected by the news charging his father with collaborating with
the former Czechoslovak Secret Police (StB). German television recently
broadcast the program Laughing Barbarian, where evidence from StB files
was shown. The last issue of the German weekly Der Spiegel dealt with
the story as well.
Ota Filip does not deny some of the evidence, but he argues he had
been under the immense psychological and physical pressure in the
beginning of the 70's. Czech writer Ludvik Vaculik said nobody who has
not gone through such pressure has no right to tell other people how
they should have behaved.
Katerina Murlova/Milan Smid
FROM SLOVAKIA
How Will Fall Elections Be Held in Slovakia?
The governing coalition, led by Premier Vladimir Meciar's Movement
for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS), is going to amend the Election Act in
the February session of the National Assembly. The amendment should
replace the existing election commissions with "independent courts." The
opposition sees the move as an attempt to dismiss an independent control
of fair elections.
The second controversial amendment to the act is a proposal to raise
the minimum for representation in the Assembly for election coalitions
to 5 per cent for each coalition party, meaning each party in
a coalition would need to receive the 5-per-cent minimum for an
independent party. According to the Slovak opposition parties, this
proposal contradicts the purpose of creating an election coalition. On
the other hand, the Slovak Democratic Coalition is ready - if the
amendment is passed - to form a single political party. The opposition
said it is preparing its own amendment to the Election Act.
Katerina Murlova/Milan Smid
ECONOMY
Budget Deficit at 16 Billion Crowns
The 1997 deficit reached the unexpected height of 16 billion crowns.
At the last minute the bottom line worsened with a transaction of more
than 5 billion crowns into the Consolidation Bank (Konsolidacni banka),
to cover losses from 1996. The economy was most significantly affected
by July's floods, which caused damages estimated at 60 billion crowns,
though the budget of course was not used to compensate all damages.
Lenka Jindrlova/Gabriela Pecic
Protective Measures against Apple Imports
From January 14 all apples exceeding the quota of 24,000 tons will
be subject to import tariff of 95 per cent. "It is necessary, because
the constant increase in imports of consumer apples leads only to the
further decrease of sales of domestic production," said Agriculture
Minister Josef Lux in newspapers January 15. He also said that losses
for growers and suppliers loss had reached 250 million crowns for the
1996-97 fiscal year.
Importers can use up their quotas on a quarterly basis, with the
possibility of adding any used space under the qouta into the next
quarter.
Lenka Jindrlova/Gabriela Pecic
Exchange Rates at the Czech National Bank
(valid from January 23)
country currency
------------------------------------------
Australia 1 AUD 23.178
Belgium 100 BEF 94.320
Great Britain 1 GBP 57.702
Denmark 1 DKK 5.106
Finland 1 FIM 6.426
France 1 FRF 5.807
Ireland 1 IEP 48.828
Italy 1000 ITL 19.748
Japan 100 JPY 27.706
Canada 1 CAD 24.315
Luxemburg 100 LUF 94.320
Hungary 100 HUF 17.078
Netherlands 1 NLG 17.262
Norway 1 NOK 4.712
New Zealand 1 NZD 20.363
Poland 1 PLN 9.985
Portugal 100 PTE 19.017
Austria 1 ATS 2.765
Greece 100 GRD 12.312
Slovakia 100 SKK 98.839
Germany 1 DEM 19.455
Spain 100 ESP 22.945
Sweden 1 SEK 4.409
Switzerland 1 CHF 23.912
USA 1 USD 35.153
ECU 1 XEU 38.361
SDR 1 XDR 47.066
CULTURE
Fifth Year of Febiofest
The fifth year of the Febiofest non-traditional film and television
production festival began January 21 and will be shown in 20 cinemas in
nine Czech and five Slovak towns. With 295 films (one-quarter more than
last year), Febiofest will surpass in quantity the film festival in
Carlsbad (Karlovy Vary) and organizers said they expect 100,000
visitors. The festival is offering all sections that viewers were used
to from previous years. Febiofest is also bringing new material from
film schools and a retrospective of Czech documentary from the 30's to
90's. Project 100 has joined Febiofest for the forth time and is set for
club cinemas.
Festival tradition is to introduce new Czech films before their
official premieres. This year there are going to be three: the comedy
Dead Beetle (Mrtvej brouk) by director Pavel Marek, who drew attention
as a member of the surrealist group Bullshit film (Bulsit film), opened
the festival's program in Prague's Blanik Theater. Czech Soda (Ceska
soda), the first Czech film which first came out on video, is an
offshoot of the success of the eponymous TV series. Febiofest will end
with the black comedy Bed (Postel) by Oscar Reif, about the horrible
power of the female sex.
Pavel Turek/Sofia Karakeva
Milos Forman Awarded Honorary Doctorate
Czech-American director Milos Forman was January 16 awarded an
honorary Doctor Honoris Causa doctorate from the Academy of Musical Arts
(AMU). Milos Forman graduated from AMU's Film Academy in 1955. The same
doctorate was awarded for the first time to Czech president Vaclav
Havel.
Forman was a leader of the Czech New Wave and has received two
best-director Oscars. During the traditional film festival in Carlsbad
(Karlovy Vary) last summer, Forman was honored for his lifetime
achievement in world film.
Pavel Turek/Sofia Karakeva
Rector Announces Competition on Universities after 2000
Charles University Rector Karel Maly announced an international
essay competition on the theme Universities after 2000. Students have
the opportunity to present their essays concerning the future of
universities in the next millennium. Students' works will be financially
rewarded and the best one will receive 30,000 crowns.
The competition is open to every student in the world and essays can
be written in any language. The genre is up to the student, but the work
should be at least 10 pages and at most 25 pages (with 1.5 line
spacing). The deadline is June 30, and the rector will announce the
results August 31. Winners will be also invited to the conference The
University and Its Students, where they will meet with the rector.
Erik Tabery/Sofia Karakeva
Sisters of Mercy in Prague
The British band The Sisters of Mercy stirred it up at Prague's
Sport Hall January 17. The group became extremely popular in the 80's as
a gothic rock band, and today they continue in their dark rock style.
The band played hits such as Temple of Love, Amphetamine Logic and Come
Together. Amphetamine Logic and Scoda Blush were the opening bands. The
Sisters of Mercy still have the ability to play their kind of music,
full of pessimism, suffering and visions of extinction.
Ajla Zinhasovic/Ajla Zinhasovic
SPORTS
Czech Olympic Committee Approves Team for Nagano
The Czech Olympic Committee approved the Czech team for the Winter
Olympic Games in Nagano at its meeting January 16. The Czech Republic
will be represented by 66 athletes, which is the second largest number
ever.
The best Czech medal hope is cross-country skier Katerina
Neumannova. More success is expected from the hockey team, which Vaclav
Prospal had to leave because of injury. Coaches Ivan Hlinka and Slavomir
Lener did not pick a substitute from the NHL and nominated 12 players
from Europe - eight from the Czech league (goalies Cechmanek and
Hnilicka, defenseman Kucera and forwards Beranek, Dopita, Hejduk,
Moravec and Ruzicka), three from Sweden (L. Prochazka, Spacek and
Patera) and Caloun from Finland.
Milan Kucera, the nordic combined skier, won his first World Cup
event in Chaux-Neuve, France and became a new Czech star. In addition to
the 23 hockey players, other sports are taking the following numbers of
athletes: skiing - 22, biathlon - 10, bobsledding - six, figure skating
- five.
Jiri Polak/Mirek Langer
Easy Group for Czech Republic in Euro 2000 Qualification
The lottery for Euro 2000 qualification groups was a lucky one for
Czech soccer players. For the first time, the championships will take
place in two countries, in the Netherlands and Belgium. In the ninth
group the Czechs will meet the following opponents: Scotland, Lithuania,
Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Faroe Islands and Estonia. New national team
Coach Jozef Chovanec was also satisfied, saying the lottery was
"agreeable."
The former Czechoslovak team played 10 games against Scotland in the
past, winning four, tying once and losing five. The Czech Republic won
all four matches against the Faroe Islands and won its only match
against Lithuania 5-3. It has never met the teams of Bosnia-Herzegovina
and Estonia.
Jiri Polak/Mirek Langer
Loprais Wins Paris-Dakar Rally for Fourth Time
In the 20th anniversary Paris-Dakar Rally Czech driver Karel Loprais
finished at the top with his Tatra truck and won the competition for the
fourth time. Milan Koreny topped off the Tatra trucks' domination,
finishing third. The Czechs had also a representative among the best
bikers for the first time, as Stanislav Zloch finished 10th.
Czech driver Bedrich Sklenovsky ended his ride in Mali after being
attacked by armed men (see Carolina 272). After his Triumph motorcycle
broke down, Ivo Kastan retired in the first half of the rally.
Jiri Polak/Mirek Langer
Sparta Defeats Plzen in Historic Hockey Debacle
Sparta Praha hockey players went to Pilsen (Plzen) and won 10-0,
recording the most lopsided road victory in Czech league history. Former
Plzen player Jelinek recorded five points, on three goals and two
assists.
Trinec moved into first place after two Vitkovice losses, while
Vsetin is second, though it has played one match (against Plzen) more
because of its play in the European Hockey League final group.
Results of the 39th round: Plzen - Pardubice 5-3, Litvinov - Vsetin
2-2, Slavia Praha - Vitkovice 6-2, Opava - Sparta Praha 0-4, Ceske
Budejovice - Jihlava 5-2, Zlin - Kladno 5-4, Karlovy Vary - Trinec 3-3.
Results of the 40th round: Plzen - Sparta Praha 0-10, Trinec -
Pardubice 5-2, Slavia Praha - Jihlava 2-2, Litvinov - Kladno 7-1, Ceske
Budejovice - Karlovy Vary 7-1, Zlin - Vitkovice 3-0, Opava - Vsetin 2-2.
Early match of the 41st round: Vsetin - Plzen 6-1.
Standings: 1. Trinec 54 pts., 2. Vsetin 53, 3. Vitkovice 52, 4.
Sparta Praha 50, 5. Slavia Praha 46, 6. Litvinov 45, 7. Plzen 45, 8.
Jihlava 41, 9. Zlin 39, 10. Ceske Budejovice 36, 11. Pardubice 36, 12.
Kladno 27, 13. Karlovy 21, 14. Opava 19.
Jiri Polak/Mirek Langer
WEATHER
Is it me, or is it getting cold in here?
English version edited by Michael Bluhm
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
This news may be published only with "CAROLINA" designation. The
subscription is free. Comments and remarks are appreciated. Send them
please to the address:
CAROLINA@cuni.cz
To subscribe to CAROLINA news you send an e-mail message to the address
LISTSERV@listserv.cesnet.cz
The text of message for subscription of the English version must be:
SUBSCRIBE CAR-ENG First name Last name
or for the Czech version
SUBSCRIBE CAR-CS First name Last name
To delete your subscription from the list of subscribers you send
the following message to the address LISTSERV@listserv.cesnet.cz:
SIGNOFF CAR-ENG or SIGNOFF CAR-CS
We ask you not to send automatic replies to our list. You can
temporarily stop receiving of Carolina by sending the command:
SET CAR-ENG NOMAIL
All Listserv commands should be sent to the address:
LISTSERV@listserv.cesnet.cz
Please, don't send commands SUB, SIGNOFF, NOMAIL etc to the address
CAR-CS@listserv.cesnet.cz or CAR-ENG@listserv.cesnet.cz!
