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Carolina (English) No 292
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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 292, Friday, June 5, 1998.
FROM THE EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK (May 27 - June 3)
Election Campaign Officially Begins June 3
Voters will choose between 13 political parties in the June 19-20
early parliamentary elections. The rivals include the current
parliamentary parties - the Czech Social Democrat Party (CSSD), the
Civic Democratic Party (ODS), the Freedom Union (US), the Christian
Democrats (KDU-CSL), the Communists (KSCM) and the neo-fascist
Republicans (SPR-RSC) - as well as the Retirees for Life Security (DZJ),
the Czech National Social Party, the Green Party, the Democratic Union,
the Civic Coalition - Political Club, the Independents and the Moravian
Democratic Party, which is running only in Moravia. The other five
registered parties (see Carolina 289) did not pay the 200,000 crowns fee
required to participate in the elections.
From June 3-16, public television Czech Television will offer 70
minutes daily, except Sunday, of political coverage. Czech Radio will
also offer pre-election coverage from June 3.
Nora Novakova/Andrea Snyder
Havel On Elections and Possible Successor
During his Saturday, May 30 Interviews in Lany radio program,
President Vaclav Havel advised voters to read at least part of political
parties' election platforms, to follow politicians' speeches in the
media and to look at ballots. The proportional election system makes it
possible for an untrustworthy person to appear on a ballot next to
a trustworthy person, Havel said.
On the show, Havel talked with Catholic priest Tomas Halik and told
the priest he would like to see Halik as Havel's successor, but that he
sees his election as unrealistic in political terms.
Havel said that the "principle of intensive partyism," has triumphed
in the land, with the country belonging to its political parties. "The
future president will be either the product of some powerful party,
a product strong enough that the party will find him support among
others parties, so that he can pass through Parliament. Or it will be
a neutral old professor of Egyptology, knowing 15 languages, and a man
harmless enough that everyone could vote for him, but a man without
a political personality, a man maybe of a great humanitarian personality
but without political authority, without political weight," said Havel,
as reported in Czech daily MF DNES. Havel said he considers both
possibilities bad.
Havel this year began the first year of his last five-year term in
office, so the four main parliamentary parties said his open discussion
about his successor is legitimate but premature.
Jiri Polak/Andrea Snyder
Wall to Segregate Romanies from Whites in Usti
The construction of a wall in Maticni Street in the industrial city
of Usti nad Labem is supposed to separate "good people" from "bad
people" - to separate whites and Romanies (Gypsies) - has sparked
emotions and attracted interest from politicians and journalists. Usti
Mayor Ladislav Huska received a petition from the white homeowners
living next to the Romanies proposing the construction of a wall to
separate the two groups, and Hruska agreed. Left-wing and right wing
Usti politicians come together on the issue. "We don't mind Romanies, we
mind their mess and noise, which we have to listen to until late into
the night," said homeowners' spokesman Jaroslav Kopecky. The wall is to
be four meters (about 12 feet) high and run parallel to Maticni Street.
Minister Without Portfolio Vladimir Mlynar, who heads the government
committee on minority issues, went to Usti at the the invitation of the
homeowners. "I've seen streets a lot worse in the Czech Republic," he
said. He called for a committee to be created by both sides to aid in
solving the problem. The homeowners said they were not pleased with his
visit, because he did not support construction of the wall.
Romanies came May 30 from Ostrava, a Czech industrial city in the
northeast, and together with Romanies living in Usti planted flowers in
the space where the wall is planned.
Mayor Hruska June 1 met with representatives of a Romany cultural
association proposing a mass clean-up of Maticni Street and Romany
activists to ensure order in the street. They also said unemployment
among Romanies is a problem, and the two parties agreed on a program in
which the city is to support selected firms run by Romanies.
Romany activists from throughout the country June 2 presented the
mayor a petition protesting the wall. The petition calls for local
politicians, who support the wall, to resign. About 30 signatures were
on the petition. Romany activist Ondrej Gina said more petitions are
being signed around the country.
The petition is not expected to change Hruska's decision. Last week
he told Maticni Street residents they have three months to find a way to
live together, or the wall will be built.
Jan Puncochar/Andrea Snyder
President Havel Meets with Minister Mlynar
President Vaclav Havel is convinced that the government should
create a body to monitor human rights in the Czech Republic, he said
after meeting with Minister without Portfolio Vladimir Mlynar, who heads
the committee on national minorities.
Mlynar said the president was interested in the mood in the Romany
community in the wake of frequent racially motivated attacks, and that
Havel wanted to know if there was a possibility of a new exodus of
Romanies from the Czech Republic.
Contrary to expectations, the two did not discuss Czech weekly
Tyden's accusation that Mlynar misused the Czech secret service (BIS)
when he asked its head, Karel Vulterin, for information about the
shareholders of the AGPI company, which runs a large-capacity pig
slaughterhouse in Lety on the site of a former Romany concentration
camp. Mlynar has been active in trying to have the slaughterhouse
removed from the site, although locals consider the slaughterhouse
essential to their existence. The weekly claimed Vulterin and Mlynar
broke laws concerning BIS and the protection of personal information.
Both deny the allegations.
Petr Bilek Jr./Andrea Snyder
Social Support for the Czech Nazi Victims
Czech citizens imprisoned during the Second World War by the Nazi
regime have received 224 million crowns from the Fund of Future,
established by the Czech-German Declaration last year. So far, 6,050
Czech victims have received financial assistance, although the personal
database operated by the Czech Union of Freedom Fighters in Prague is
still being updated. The numbers were published at the end of the first
founding meeting of fund's Board of Trustees June 2, comprised of two
representatives each from the Czech Republic and Germany.
Petr Bilek Jr./Milan Smid
Sudeten Germans Try to Link Czech EU Entry to Benes Decrees' Abolition
Bavarian Prime Minister Edmund Stoiber appealed in the Bundestag to
the Czech government to abolish former President Edvard Benes' Decrees
pertaining to the Sudeten German's expulsion after the Second World War.
If the Czech government does not abolish them, it could be troublesome
to accept the Czech Republic into the EU, said Stoiber.
Shortly afterwards, at the annual congress of the Sudeten Germans'
association in Nuremberg last weekend, Franz Neubauer, the chairman of
the Sudeten German union, rejected any positive impact of the
Czech-German Declaration on relations between the Czech Republic and
Germany. Klaus Kinkel, German Foreign Minister, opposed Stoiber by
labeling Stoiber's declaration a threat to Czech-German relations, and
said bilateral issues cannot be linked to Czech EU membership.
Kinkel added that German foreign policy is not being created in
Bavaria and not by Stoiber. "The claims to link the Czech EU entry to
the bilateral issues outside the conditions of this entry is not only
unrealistic but also irresponsible," said Kinkel in Czech daily Slovo.
Czech ambassador to Germany Frantisek Cerny, who was invited to the
49th Sudeten German Congress in Nuremberg, refused to participate after
some Sudeten German representatives tried to sweep aside Nazi violence
in the former Czechoslovakia and compared Benes to war criminals like
Adolf Hitler.
Anna Kadava/Milan Smid
Political Prisoners Commemorate Victims of Communist Regime in Jachymov
About 500 former political prisoners who worked in Jachymov's
uranium mines assembled at their annual reunion, called Jachymov's Hell,
May 30. According to Jiri Blatny from the Confederation of Political
Prisoners, they met together for ninth time to "remind all people of the
existence of communist concentration camps where we were subject to
crimes, murder and maltreatment from our fellow citizens." Political
prisoners said they are not satisfied with the way the criminals of the
totalitarian regime are treated by the justice system. What matters is
not the extent of punishment but the recognition of injustice, said
political prisoners.
Jan Puncochar/Milan Smid
FROM SLOVAKIA
Meciar and Yeltsin Agree on Oil Supply to Slovakia
Slovak Premier Vladimir Meciar finished May 28 his two-day official
visit to Russia with an agreement with President Boris Yeltsin to
prepare together a contract for Russian oil supply to Slovakia. By the
year 2015 six millions tons of oil annually should be flow from Russia
to Slovakia. Both politicians also agreed that, along with their Italian
partners, they will consider the possibility of building a new branch of
the existing Jamal-Poland-Germany gas pipeline, from Russia and through
Poland and Slovakia to Italy.
Yeltsin and Meciar expressed satisfaction over the development of
the cooperation between both counties in nuclear energy and discussed
the possibility of a Slovak astronaut on Russia's Mir space station.
Yeltsin also wished Meciar and his party, the Movement for a Democratic
Slovakia (HZDS), victory in the fall elections. "We wish, we very, very
much wish you to win the elections. The relationship between our two
countries is now excellent and it would be a pity to change anything,"
said Yeltsin in Czech daily MF DNES.
Former Slovak Foreign Minister and Meciar critic Milan Knazko called
Yeltsin's statement gross interference in Slovakia's internal affairs
and clear proof that Meciar is "Moscow's vassal" and should never lead
Slovakia's government.
Anna Kadava/Sofia Karakeva
Slovak Opposition Allegedly Bribing Journalists
The opposition Slovak Democratic Coalition (SDK) was accused of
trying to bribe journalists to write about the party in a more favorable
light by three journalists. SDK leader Mikulas Dzurinda appeared May 29
to explain the affair, but his evasive answers irritated journalists.
Observers say if SDK loses the support of the independent media, it
could lead to the coalition's political death.
Dzurinda first said SDK was not bribing and will never bribe
journalists. He added that the influential media agency of Adriana
Hostovecka, which in the name of SDK was trying to bribe journalists, is
no longer connected with SDK, saying he is convinced that should end the
scandal. In the following avalanche of questions, however, he was almost
incapable of answering a single query.
Jiri Polak/Sofia Karakeva
FROM SLOVAKIA IN BRIEF
* On behalf of the Slovak government, Foreign Ministry spokesman Milan
Tokar announced that despite protests in Slovakia and Austria, the
reactor of the Mochovce nuclear power station will be activated July 1
with 100 per-cent output. The International Agency for Atomic Energy
declared that the reactor, so criticized by Austria, fulfills the
highest activization standards and the agency agrees with the
activization of the power station, adding that possible corrections can
be made during the test period.
* Slovakia's National Assembly failed to elect a president for the
seventh time. So the chair of the former President Michal Kovac, whose
term expired March 2, remains empty. Last week the only candidate was
49-year-old businessman Vladimir Abraham. The next vote is scheduled for
June 11.
Anna Kavada/Sofia Karakeva
ECONOMY IN BRIEF
* The government decided at its May 27 session to sell its share in
the Czechoslovak Trade Bank (Ceskoslovenksa obchodni banka). In two
weeks the government will advertise in the international financial press
for investors to present non-binding offers probably by the end of June.
* At the same session the government decided to pay its debt to the
Czech Savings Bank (Ceska sporitelna) from this year's budget. The state
guaranteed the bank 4.1 billion crowns to cover what the bank was owed
by the bankrupt AB Bank (AB banka). As a result, the budget deficit will
increase from 4.5 billion crowns to 8.5 billion crowns.
* The average monthly Czech salary has grown by more than 1,000 crowns
from 1997 and is now 10,500 crowns. Real income, however, has declined
by 2 per cent.
* Regina Razlova was detained June 2 on the Czech-Slovak border in
Lanzhot. On June 3 the police decided to keep her in police custody.
Razlova, an actress under the Communist regime, is accused of defrauding
Skloexport, in which she was chairwoman of the board, of 400 million
crowns.
* By the year 2002 a passenger train ticket will increase 17 per cent
more than each year's inflation, according to a May 29 agreement between
Czech Railways' Administrative Council and the Ministry of
Transportation. The proposal, after final approval, will be presented to
the government.
* Transportation Minister Petr Moos presented the government
a proposal for the conception of railway privatization and the
conditions of access for carriers. The minister confirmed the report
after his May 28 negotiations with Jaromir Dusek, head of the railway
workers' union.
* The first railway corridor in the Czech Republic will be put into
use by the end of 2002 and should cost 36.5 billion crowns, with
inflation taken into consideration, said Czech Railways Administrative
Council Chairman Ivan Foltyn May 29.
Jan Puncochar/Gabriela Pecic
Exchange Rates at the Czech National Bank
(valid June 5)
country currency
------------------------------------------
Australiae 1 AUD 19.878
Belgiume 100 BEF 89.549
Great Britain 1 GBP 53.445
Denmark 1 DKK 4.849
ECU 1 XEU 36.382
Finland 1 FIM 6.078
France 1 FRF 5.509
Ireland 1 IEP 46.600
Italy 1000 ITL 18.748
Japan 100 JPY 23.594
Canada 1 CAD 22.412
Luxemburg 100 LUF 89.549
IMF 1 XDR 43.690
Hungary 100 HUF 15.386
Netherlands 1 NLG 16.387
Norway 1 NOK 4.393
New Zealand 1 NZD 17.075
Poland 1 PLN 9.478
Portugal 100 PTE 18.035
Austria 1 ATS 2.625
Greece 100 GRD 10.848
Germany 1 DEM 18.470
Slovakia 100 SKK 95.032
Slovenia 100 SIT 19.665
Spain 100 ESP 21.749
Sweden 1 SEK 4.215
Switzerland 1 CHF 22.192
USA 1 USD 32.626
CULTURE
Czech Republic Experiences Week of Festivals
Three significant festivals - of music, theater and film - took
place in the Czech Republic last week. Besides the Deer Moat (Jeleni
prikop) dance festival (see below), it was possible to visit the Between
the Fences (Mezi ploty) theater feast, held in Prague's Bohnice
Psychiatric Hospital the weekend of May 30-31. While in the festival's
first year in 1991 there were 10 ensembles performing for a small
gathering, this year the number of performing groups approached 120,
seen by some 10,000 visitors. All artists performed for free, and
proceeds went to the hospital, where theater troupes like HaDivadlo,
Drama Club (Cinoherni klub), Studio Ypsilon and bands like Zuby Nehty,
Krausberry, Wild Heart (Divoke srdce) and Three Sisters (Tri sestry)
performed.
On May 29, the 38th international film festival for children and
young people finished in Zlin, and although the previous years were not
noted for quality, this year was been a pleasant surprise. "If a child
spectator is satisfied, the organizers can be satisfied as well," said
director Vojtech Jasny for the May 30 edition of Czech daily MF DNES.
The international jury, over which Jasny presided, awarded Norwegian
film The Second Side of Hope, which lost out in the 1996 Oscars for best
foreign-language film to the Czech film Kolya, with the main prize. In
the category of animation, Pavel Koutsky's picture Duel won.
Petr Bilek Jr./Denisa Vitkova
Prague Castle's Foundations Shake to Dance Music Rhythm
The first official dance music festival in the Czech Republic took
place in the untraditional area of the Deer Moat (Jeleni prikop)
guarding Prague Castle May 29-30.
The festival saw performances of top international and domestic
bands - stars like Transglobal Underground, The Orb, Tribal Drift, Zion
Train, 808 State and Fun-da-mental, along with Czech groups like Liquid
Harmony, Hypnotix, Ecstasy of St. Theresa and Significant Other.
During the two days, thousands of spectators had a chance the dance
to the sounds of jungle, drum'n'bass, hip hop, house or techno music,
with of course individual groups' elements of ethno, dub, trance and
acid jazz. The stage was nestled among the trees of the moat, while in
the background festivalgoers could enjoy a tattoo parlor, body piercing,
hair-dying, tea rooms and various other attractions, including a fashion
show between concerts.
Festival highlights included the performance of Australian group
Zion Train, which, with its nimble dub-techno rhythm and charismatic
singer, brought visitors near a dance mania, which at the end of that
first evening was capped off by Transglobal Underground and its singer,
Natacha Atlas, who will return to Prague's Roxy Theater June 20.
The second day saw Tribal Drift's inspiring show, after which the
energy level was blown through the roof by the multi-national rappers
and ethnic musicians of Fun-da-mental. The pearl of the festival was its
closing act, England's DJ duo The Orb, known for their aversion to live
performance. Festival organizers D Smack U Promotion lured them for
their only concert this year by promising them an overnight stay in
Prague Castle. Both nights came to a close at about 3 a.m.
The top-notch groups, strong attendance and relatively good
organization (which overcame heavy rains May 30 and sound breakdowns
both nights) suggest the Deer Moat will live again in 1999.
Jana Ciglerova/Michael Bluhm
CULTURE IN BRIEF
* The 53rd Prague Spring (Prazske jaro) music festival came to an end
June 3 to the traditional sounds of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony (see
Carolina 289).
* Actor Karel Augusta died May 30, one week before his 63rd birthday.
A graduate of Prague's Theater Academy (DAMU), Augusta performed in many
theaters, in the 70's in Prague's Theater on the Balustrade (Divadlo na
zabradli) and the Prague City Theaters (Mestska divadla prazska). In
front of the camera Augusta excelled in comic supporting roles,
appearing in the films All Good Natives (Vsichni dobri rodaci) and The
Oil Lamps (Petrolejove lampy).
Petr Bilek Jr./Denisa Vitkova
SPORTS
Czech Soccer Leagues' Fifth Year Finished
Sparta Praha, with the league title wrapped up, lost in Olomouc 0-1
but in the last round defeated Teplice 3-1 after an exhibition-like
performance. After the match Sparta celebrated its fourth title in the
five-year history of the Czech league. Slavia took second place after
a win against Dukla, but is still not sure it will participate in the
UEFA Cup. European Soccer Union UEFA representatives meanwhile said each
owner can have only one team in one European cup competition, and
Slavia's owner ENIC has a majority in other teams, including Glasgow
Rangers, AEK Athens and Vicenza.
Third place and certain participation in the UEFA Cup belong to
Olomouc, thanks to its 29th round win in Pribram. Together with Lazne
Bohdanec, Ceske Budejovice will be relegated to the second league.
Blsany and Karvina were promoted to replace them in the first league
next year.
Results of the 29th round: Zizkov - Brno 2-0, Plzen - Hradec Kralove
0-0, Liberec - Ostrava 3-1, Ceske Budejovice - Opava 0-0, Olomouc
- Sparta Praha 1-0, Bohdanec - Drnovice 1-1, Teplice - Jablonec 2-2,
Slavia - Dukla 1-0.
Results of the 30th round: Sparta Praha - Teplice 3-1, Dukla -
Olomouc 0-3, Jablonec - Plzen 2-0, Brno - Ceske Budejovice 0-2, Hradec
Kralove - Zizkov 2-0, Opava - Bohdanec 0-0, Drnovice - Liberec 1-0,
Ostrava - Slavia 1-1.
Final Standings:
1. Sparta Praha 71
2. Slavia Praha 59
3. Sigma Olomouc 55
4. Banik Ostrava 50
5. Slovan Liberec 47
6. FK Jablonec 46
7. FK Teplice 40
8. Viktoria Zizkov 39
9. Petra Drnovice 38
10. Boby Brno 37
11. Kaucuk Opava 34
12. Hradec Kralove 34
13. Viktoria Plzen 34
14. FC Dukla 33
15. Ceske Budejovice 31
16. Atl. Lazne Bohdanec 11
Czech Tennis Players Fall in French Open
Jana Novotna finished in the quarterfinal of the French Open in
Paris, losing to American Monica Seles 6-4, 3-6, 3-6. The last Czech
player in the men's competition, Bohdan Ulihrach, said good-bye in the
third round after being spanked by 13th-seeded Alberto Costa of Spain
3-6, 3-6, 0-6. Daniel Vacek lost to 18-year-old Marat Safin of Russia
3-6, 6-3, 3-6, 5-7. Safin participated in the tournament after
a successful trip through qualification and also defeated former world
number one Andre Agassi.
Czech men Damm, Dosedel, Novak and world number two Petr Korda were
shut out in the first round. In women's singles, Hrdlickova and Gersi
advanced to the second round.
Jiri Polak/Mirek Langer
Czech Handball Players Still Waiting for Point in World Championships
The Czech national handball team has still not won a point in the
World Championships preliminary round group in Merano, Italy, and lost
a chance to land a satisfying position. After some good play they lost
in the first match to Russia 21-22, then they kept up with Croatia for
40 minutes (final: 24-30) and then played their worst match of the
tournament against Spain (final: 22-35).
Jiri Polak/Mirek Langer
SPORTS IN BRIEF
* Pole vaulter Daniela Bartova broke the European record at a track
and field meet in Cottbus, Germany May 27. She jumped 450 centimeters
and beat the record of Ukraine's Balakhonova by 13 centimeters.
Jiri Polak/Mirek Langer
WEATHER
During the week, beautiful, warm and sunny days alternated with
rainy, cold and entirely ugly days. While the cause of May 30's shower
is still being investigated, the source of June 3's squall is already
known: the heavens cried over Jana Novotna's loss in the French Open in
Paris. Meteorologists warn that the weather will not have mercy on us in
the coming days.
Jan Puncochar/Mirek Langer
English version edited by Michael Bluhm
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