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Carolina (English) No 268
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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 268, Friday, December 5, 1997.
FROM THE EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK (November 26 - December 3)
Klaus' Cabinet Falls
Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus (Civic Democratic Party ODS) resigned
November 30. Under the constitution, this step means the fall of the
Cabinet. President Vaclav Havel charged the resigning government with
executing its function until a new government is formed. Klaus led the
Cabinet for five years and five months, beginning in 1992.
Klaus was called on to resign by party colleagues Jan Ruml (former
interior minister) and Finance Minister Ivan Pilip November 28. The
government then began to crumble. After a hurriedly convened statewide
party conference, all four Christian Democrat ministers left the
government the same day. November 29 all four Civic Democratic Alliance
government members resigned as well, and President Havel also appealed
to Klaus to step down. The coalition partners decided to leave the
cabinet because ODS, the biggest coalition party, was not able to
resolve the affair provoked by revelations of mysterious sponsors and
information about a secret account holding 170 million crowns in
Switzerland. ODS financing problems, because of which former Foreign
Minister Josef Zieleniec resigned from the party and government a month
ago, have grown into an open wound. There are two opposite sides in this
split: Klaus' supporters (ODS Vice Chairman Miroslav Macek,
Transportation Secretary Martin Riman, Parliament Foreign Relations
Committee member Jiri Payne) who want him to continue to lead the party,
and his opponents (Ruml, Pilip, Parliament deputy Jiri Vlach), who wish
Klaus would not run for the party's chairmanship again.
Talks about a new government started the afternoon of November 30.
Havel talked with coalition parties' negotiators without any specific
result. "The talks have been postponed till December 15, immediately
after the ODS congress, which will show whether the party is able to
solve its problem and whether the current coalition parties can come to
an agreement about a joint government," said presidential spokesman
Ladislav Spacek to Carolina (the possibility of ODS becoming an
opposition party is not out of the question - editorial note). "In my
opinion, everything is pointing toward early elections," said Jiri Pehe,
political department director of the Office of the President. His
prediction stems from the fact that the opposition, led by the Social
Democrats, is trying to invoke a time limitation for the parliamentary
mandate, with an eye toward elections in June at the latest.
Ondrej Drabek/Denisa Vitkova
Constitutional Solutions to the Government Crisis
The only one not outflanked by the domestic political situation is
probably the Czech Republic's constitution. This highest authority
offers a few alternatives. The president appoints the prime minister
and, on the prime minister's nomination, the ministers. This cabinet
presents itself within 30 days after appointment to Parliament's Chamber
of Deputies and asks for a vote of confidence. If the cabinet does not
receive confidence, the president charges another politician with
forming a new government, and the process repeats. If the next
government does not receive a vote of confidence, the president appoints
a prime minister nominated by the Chamber's chairman. Only if all these
possibilities fail can early elections take place.
Although the basic unknown fact which will influence everything
else - the election of a chairman for the Civic Democratic Party at its
extraordinary congress December 13 - the first names of possible
candidates are bandied about already (Finance Minister Ivan Pilip,
former Interior Minister Jan Ruml, Vice Premier and Christian Democrat
Chairman Josef Lux, Czech National Bank Governor Josef Tosovsky or
Academy of Science's Macroeconomic Institute Director Jan Svejnar).
Mass media mention the possibility of a government made up of
experts. However, most politicians do not favor this possibility.
Lenka Jindrlova/Denisa Vitkova
Timetable of the Government Crisis
November 27. The daily MF DNES published a story headlined Top ODS
Politicians Hide the Truth about Sponsors, in which Czech ambassador to
Sweden Petr Kolar and enterpreneur Michal Kuzmiak declared that several
ODS leaders knew for more than one year the true name of the sponsor who
donated the controversial 7.5 million crowns.
Former Foreign Minister and former Civic Democratic Party (ODS)
Vice Chairman Josef Zieleniec claimed Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus knew
the truth about the "mysterious sponsor." Klaus denied the charge.
Former ODS Executive Vice Chairman Libor Novak, responsible for
party finances, admitted at a press conference that he had negotiated
the sponsorship with representatives of Moravia Steel, which later
succeeded in winning the privatization tender of the iron and steelworks
company Trinecke zelezarny, and he took personal responsibility for
hiding the sponsor's name. The testimony of former tennis player Milan
Srejber, who attended the press conference, did not make a credible
impression on the journalists, and was the object of their laughter.
Shortly afterwards, Christian Democrat Chairman Josef Lux ruled out
the chance of Klaus staying in office if it would be confirmed that
Klaus had known the identity of the ODS sponsor in the past. Lux
threatened to reconsider the future participation of his party in the
coalition.
ODS Vice Chairman and Finance Minister Ivan Pilip said he is
prepared to resign if the situation is not satisfactorily explained.
November 28. The daily MF DNES broke the story of a secret ODS bank
account in Switzerland. At a press conference, the ODS was not able to
present a credible explanation of the situation.
Despite the turbulent situation on the domestic political scene,
Klaus departed for a meeting of the Central European Initiative in
Sarajevo (where he declared readiness to continue with Czech
participation in the SFOR mission, if the proper international
conditions are maintained).
Trade unions called on the government to resign.
Former Interior Minister Jan Ruml and Pilip appealed publicly
- after a brief phone discussion with Klaus in Sarajevo - to the prime
minister to take political responsibility for the situation and to
resign. ODS Vice Chairman Miroslav Macek described this act as a putsch
in the party.
At an extraordinary party conference, the Christian Democratic
Union-Czechoslovak Peoples' Party (KDU-CSL) decided to withdraw its
ministers from the government, and Lux notified President Vaclav Havel
of the decision that night. Their decision cited loss of public
confidence in the present government and the impossibility of
maintaining the current situation were declared as the reasons for
abdication. Lux rejected his candidacy for the prime minister's office.
November 29. The Civic Democratic Alliance (ODA) ministers decided to
leave the government as well.
Havel called for the resignation of the whole cabinet. He tried to
calm the public with references to the fact that the exchange of
politicians is a normal procedure and evidence of a working democracy.
He added that the world will not end with the departures of Klaus as
prime minister, of Milos Zeman as Parliament chairman, or of Havel as
president.
After his early return from Sarajevo, the prime minister joined the
ODS executive council which discussed for more than 11 hours the
resolution of the current crisis. The spontaneous demonstration of
citizens in front of the ODS building in Snemovni Street declared
support for Klaus, and the crowd assaulted Ruml and Pilip as traitors
(see special story below).
Cardinal Miloslav Vlk made a public statement where he declared
that the internal problems in the ODS concentrated a more sharp and
critical light on Klaus' way of government. Plain pragmatism, an
absolute emphasis on economics and the absence of spiritual and moral
values were the main and most serious of his mistakes, said Vlk.
November 30. After midnight, Klaus announced his and his Cabinet's
resignation. However, he decided to retain his position as ODS chairman,
and that he would decide whether to compete for this position again at
the extraordinary ODS congress to be held in two weeks, December 13-14.
Havel said on his weekly radio program Talks from Lany (Hovory
z Lan) that he had accepted the resignation of the Cabinet, and that at
the same time he entrusted it with the running the administration until
a new cabinet would be appointed. He publicly denounced yesterday's
demonstration of support for Klaus and criticized Prague Mayor Jan
Koukal for calling a new demonstration to be held that day on Wenceslas
Square. "When I hear and see such manifestations, I am disgusted with
all these things, and in my opinion Mayor Koukal should resign after
what he did," said Havel in Talks from Lany.
Also, Lux criticized the demonstration in Snemovni Street, where
the prime minister decided "to celebrate his triumph instead of
protecting his party colleagues from mob attacks."
At the afternoon press conference in the government building, Klaus
announced he was going to take legal action against TV NOVA, which
braodcast a false report of his ownership of a villa in Switzerland.
The representatives of all three coalition parties discussed the
new government with Havel in Lany Chateau.
About 1,500 people participated in the demonstration in support of
the prime minister on Wenceslas Square.
December 1. Police started an investigation in the case of the alleged
secret ODS bank account in Switzerland.
Lux said the KDU-CSL does not want to call for early elections, but
ODS disunity and reluctance to discuss the new cabinet would make them
inevitable. "The ability to make a decision will determine the possible
verdict on early elections. The ODS has to say whether it will
participate in the new government," he said. The Christian Democrats
propose to arrange early elections through an amendment to the
Constitution which would temporarily shorten the terms of office.
The ODS Parliamentary Club negotiated party strategy and allegedly
was deeply divided. According to information leaked to the press, Klaus
is supported by ODS' senators, but a majority of deputies are against
his future chairmanship.
December 2. The Social Democrats called for early elections to be held
at the latest by the end of June.
Jiri Honajzer resigned as chairman of the ODS Parliamentary Club
because of his disillusionment with the party and after admitting his
share of responsibility.
Novak, who took personal responsibility for hiding Srejber's name,
resigned as a member of Parliament.
Lux said his party would not support the Social Democrats' draft of
a bill which would shorten the terms in office. "We want this proposal
to be a government coalition motion, which would have expressed our
agreement in disagreement."
Veronika Machova, Jan Kozanek/Milan Smid
After deadline: ODA and the Christian Democrats have announced their
intention to form a new government if the ODS becomes party of the
opposition. Havel has discussed the issue with these parties' chairmen.
Klaus wrote a letter to ODS members in which he recommends ODS join the
opposition.
Hysteria Dominates among Klaus Supporters
Excited manifestations of support for Vaclav Klaus, chairman of the
Civic Democratic Party (ODS) and prime minister, accompanied the
11-hour November 29 ODS meeting. The pressure of ODS' financial scandals
broke into society, which split in two. One camp claims Klaus'
responsibility for the problems inside his party, while the other
considers the affair an attack on the prime minister.
Photographers, TV staffs and journalists immediately surrounded the
gates of ODS' seat in Snemovni Street. A growing crowd of Klaus fans is
constantly chanting behind them on the street. Chants against top ODS
members Finance Minister Ivan Pilip and former Interior Minister Jan
Ruml are join the traditional verbal attacks on Josef Lux, chairman of
the coalition Christian Democrats (Lux is a Judas, We don't want the
three-letter snake). People are shouting at the windows that Pilip and
Ruml are traitors, and they support Klaus with slogans: - Vaclav, don't
give up, ODS is Klaus, etc.
The peaceful meeting turns into a fanatical crowd, which is not even
dispersed by an anonymous call warning of a bomb in the street. Klaus
gave the crowd their greatest joy when he came to greet them and thank
them for their support. On the other hand, the most dramatic moment came
when Ruml, the former dissident, left the meeting early. The enraged
crowd follows and insults him. Ruml still manages to answer
journalists's questions by saying it is not possible to negotiate in
such an atmosphere. "I fought against communism all my life and this is
the result," he said.
Pilip also experiences the same reaction when he attempts to talk to
the people from a window. They do not allow him to speak and someone
threw a soft drink at him. Prague Mayor Jan Koukal could have expected
the same reaction, but when he invites the assembled to come the next
day to Wenceslas Square, he receives an ovation.
It is after midnight and while Klaus calmly goes home and proudly
proclaims he will not give up, hysteria follows Pilip's exit leaving.
Some voices suggest "Hang him." Some anarchists provoke a while longer
and then there is calm.
Erik Tabery/Nora Novakova
Klaus' Supporters Gather to Express Support
On a rainy November 30 almost 1,500 people gathered on Prague's
Wenceslas Square to support Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus. Jan Koukal,
mayor of Prague and Civic Democratic Party (ODS) senator, welcomed
Klaus' supporters, senators and members of Parliament, and also Klaus'
wife Livia. She read an emotional letter, addressed from Klaus' son to
his father and in which he expresses his full support. She protests
against information in the media that Snemovni Street was filled
December 1 with fanatics, and she also objects to President Vaclav
Havel's comments on a radio broadcast that he is disgusted by the
expression of fanatism.
The demonstration was calm and all speakers were rewarded with
great applause. People could sign a petition to support Klaus, which
said democracy is in danger. People accuse journalists of bias. The
demonstration ended quickly and the rain took with it the expressions of
support.
Erik Tabery/Sofia Karakeva
Foreign Media Reaction to Political Crisis
Most important foreign mass media (especially in neighboring
countries) covered political developments in the Czech Republic.
However, the situation was not intensely followed by all of them.
Nearly all media commenting on the crisis consider Prime Minister
Vaclav Klaus's arrogance and his unwillingness to admit and resolve the
problems of the Civic Democratic Party as the main reasons for the
government's fall. "Even the closest supporters of Vaclav Klaus in the
party and in the Cabinet stopped defending him and openly called for his
resignation," wrote the newsgathering agency AP. CNN emphasized that "in
spite of the resignation, Vaclav Klaus was the longest-serving prime
minister in the post-communist countries."
The Boston Globe wrote that the crisis broke out at a very
inconvenient time, when the Czech Republic is in negotiations about NATO
and European Union membership. However, most mass media suggested the
crisis will not threaten democracy in the Czech Republic.
Gabriela Podzimkova, Jan Puncochar/Zdenek Janda
Havel Wants to Visit Summit, Doctors against It
Medical specialists caring for President Vaclav Havel met December
1 because of Havel's difficulties breathing during political
negotiations during the weekend.
Doctors recommended the president reduce his schedule, although they
know that is nearly impossible with the country undergoing a political
crisis. Havel has also decided to go to Luxemburg to represent the
country at the European Summit November 13 in the place of resigned
Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus, who will then be taking part in the Civic
Democratic Party congress. Miroslav Cerbak, the chairman of the medical
team, does not approve of Havel's plan, saying it is very dangerous for
his health.
Anna Kadava/Zdenek Janda
ODA: a New Chairman But No Parliament Club Chairman
Environment Minister Jiri Skalicky was narrowly elected chairman of
the fallen government coalition's smallest party, Civic Democratic
Alliance (ODA), at an extraordinary party conference in Brno November
29. Skalicky received 156 votes out of 299 present delegates. He
succeeds unsuccessful former ambassador to the USA, Senator Michael
Zantovsky, whose eight-month reign saw the party's voter preference fall
beneath the five-per-cent barrier needed for representation in
Parliament.
Expectations that Skalicky will unite the Right Fraction, led by
renegade Parliament Deputy Ivan Masek, and the pragmatic wing,
represented by National Property Fund Chairman Roman Ceska, have not
been fulfilled. A member of the Right Fraction, Parliament deputy
Cestmir Hofhanzl quit the ODA December 1 because "the party had diverged
from his moral standards," he said. The next day ODA lost Masek, its
Parliament Club chairman, who said about his departure: "My decision is
based on ethical reasons as well as realistic consideration of ODA's
further potential. I do not see the future of the Right Fraction inside
the party." Masek and Hofhanzl remain Parliament Club members and intend
to support the 1998 budget.
Milan Eisenhammer/Jana Ciglerova
Communist Presidential Candidate Nominated
Stanislav Fischer, a researcher at the Academy of Sciences'
Institute of Astronomy, has been announced as the Communist Party's
presidential candidate November 29. The Communists stated for the Czech
Press Agency that they intend to oppose President Vaclav Havel's and the
coalition's intellectual rigidity.
Katerina Murlova/Jana Ciglerova
World AIDS Day in the Czech Republic
Hundreds of people from Prague and other parts of the Czech Republic
commemorated World AIDS Day December 1. Red ribbons pinned to their
coats symbolized solidarity and sympathy with sick and infected children
especially, because December 1 is dedicated to them. In the Czech
Republic there have been 356 people registrated with the HIV virus,
including five children.
Katerina Murlova/Jana Ciglerova
FOREIGN AFFAIRS IN BRIEF
* Based on the latest research done by the Institute for Public
Opinion Research, support for Czech NATO membership has sunk to 43 per
cent, the lowest level in the last seven months. Forty-seven per cent of
respondents were sure about the rightness of the step in September.
* According to the British Foreign Minister Robin Cook, who visited
the Czech Republic on November 27, Great Britain will not award Romany
(Gypsy) refugees asylum. Britain is not considering imposing visa
requirements on the Czech Republic, he said.
* Organizations representing Czech victims of Nazism met Chancellor
Helmut Kohl November 18 in Bonn. Their mutual concern was the Future
Fund, from which the victims should be compensated, according to the
Czech-German agreement.
* Japan intends to abolish visa requirements for the Czech Republic in
spring. Japanesse Foreign Minister Keiso Obuci confirmed this
information at his December 2 meeting with Czech Senate Chairman Petr
Pithart, who is on an official visit in Japan.
Gabriela Podzimkova and Jan Puncochar/Ivona Pulkrabkova
SLOVAK NEWS IN BRIEF
* Austrian Chancellor Viktor Klima November 27 visited his Slovak
counterpart, Premier Vladimir Meciar, in Piestany where Meciar has been
undergoing treatment for some time. The Austrian side was mainly
interested in the Mochovce nuclear power station, where the Slovaks were
concerned about their entry into European structures.
* The Senate of the Slovak Supreme Court rejected the complaint
against Interior Minister Gustav Krajci in connection with the failed
May referendum. According to the verdict, it was Slovak President Michal
Kovac who violated the law by announcing the referendum without having
been asked for it by the National Assembly or by a petition committee.
* In connection with the approaching end of President Michal Kovac's
term of office, the discussion about candidates for this post has heated
up. The field of Slovak Democratic Coalition candidates has been
narrowed to two (the names have not been made public yet), while neither
the Hungarian Coalition nor any of the coalition parties have yet
decided on a candidate. Only the Party of the Democratic Left has even
published the name of the appointed one - it is Juraj Hrasko, an
academic.
Eva Fronkova and Paula Majorova/Ivona Pulkrabkova
ECONOMY
Czech Crown and Political Crisis
After the government's resignation November 30, financial markets
reacted with a steep fall. On the domestic currency market the crown
fell to 19.57 crowns to the deutschmark November 28 and abroad it fell
to 19.80 per deutschmark. Even though it will be very difficult to
maintain the exchange rate, the Czech National Bank (CNB) has softened
the fall. The CNB raised key short-term interest rates and indirectly
intervened through commercial banks. It is estimated the CNB paid 200
million deutschmarks to 250 million deutschmarks in buying crowns.
The political situation is being watch by foreign investors, who
consider country's political stability an important factor. Foreign
firms already doing business with the Czech Republic are also watching
the crisis.
According to the most recent trading on the Prague Stock Exchange,
the PX-50 Index increased by more than 1 per cent, led mainly by a rise
in the price of shares of the Czech Energy Company's (CEZ) and SPT
Telecom.
Each analyst has a theory of his own as to future market
development. There is a theory that the crown will be falling until the
end of the year and will come to 21 crowns per deutschmark. Economists
are hoping for the quick appointment of a new government which has to
rebuild faith in investors and create a better business climate.
Pedro Afanador/Sofia Karakeva
Big Banking Bill
The government approved on the so-called Big Banking Bill November
26. The bill requires banks to inform the public more about their
shareholders and activities. It should make the banking sector more
transparent and also allow the Czech National Bank (CNB) to control
various members of the sector more strictly. Insurance for depositors
would be extended to include corporations, so that firms can also claim
the maximum of 300,000 crowns of deposits if the bank where the money is
deposited goes bankrupt. There were some disputes about the size of
sanctions to be applied against bank shareholders by the CNB. Business
daily Hospodarske noviny wrote that the government wants to specify
according to what conditions the CNB would be allowed to paralyze
shareholders. The ministers also demand that such an action should be
dealt with in the court within seven days. The bill also requires that
the boards of directors must consist only of members of top management.
They will be obligated to show their police record and will be
personally responsible for possible damages caused by their mistakes.
The government hopes the law would restore confidence in the banking
sector. The bill will be set before Parliament by Christmas, and if
approved will be valid in April or May.
Prokop Havel/Matej Cerny
ECONOMY IN BRIEF
* Skoda Plzen announced it wants to sell its majority share in Tatra
Koprivnice and Liaz Jablonec carmakers, which slow the growth of the
company with their massive debts.
* The prices of Prague taxis have been regulated again (you should not
pay more than 17 crowns per kilometer) since December 1.
* Volkswagen, the majority shareholder in Skoda Auto, proposed
lowering the company's equity by 500 million deutschmarks. The minority
shareholder, the Czech government, which owns 30 per cent of Skoda, does
not approve of the decrease.
Ludvik Pospisil/Matej Cerny
Exchange Rates at the Czech National Bank
(valid from December 5)
country currency
------------------------------------------
Australia 1 AUD 23.429
Belgium 100 BEF 95.278
Great Britain 1 GBP 58.556
Denmark 1 DKK 5.163
Finland 1 FIM 6.503
France 1 FRF 5.872
Ireland 1 IEP 51.251
Italy 1000 ITL 20.051
Japan 100 JPY 26.967
Canada 1 CAD 24.529
Luxemburg 100 LUF 95.278
Hungary 100 HUF 17.391
Netherlands 1 NLG 17.446
Norway 1 NOK 4.861
New Zealand 1 NZD 20.989
Poland 1 PLN 9.815
Portugal 100 PTE 19.236
Austria 1 ATS 2.794
Greece 100 GRD 12.530
Slovakia 100 SKK 100.874
Germany 1 DEM 19.660
Spain 100 ESP 23.265
Sweden 1 SEK 4.485
Switzerland 1 CHF 24.316
USA 1 USD 34.862
ECU 1 XEU 38.974
SDR 1 XDR 47.364
CULTURE
Phil Collins in Prague
A sold-out Sport Hall in Prague welcomed singer Phil Collins, one of
the few pop-music celebrities who had not yet performed here.
"Hello Prague, I am glad I am here, and I will sing old and new
songs for you," Collins read in Czech from a paper. With support from
a 12-member group, the English singer now living in Switzerland pleased
the crowd with old hits as well the songs from his new album, Dance into
the Light. The Prague performance was part of his European Tour, Dancing
Into Europe 97.
Ales Bartl/Gabriela Pecic
Karlovy Vary Film Festival Goes to Washington
The program of the Freedom Film Festival, which opened December 2 in
the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., consists mostly of films shown
at this year's Karlovy Vary Film Festival. Czech cinematography is
represented by Vladimir Michalek's Forgotten Light (Zapomenute svetlo)
and Hynek Bocan's Boomerang (Bumerang). Films from Poland, Hungary,
Ukraine, and Belarus will be presented. Screenings will run until
December 6 in the US capital. In February and March it will be move to
Los Angeles, where a film market will be held.
Ales Bartl/Gabriela Pecic
Actor Jiri Pleskot Dies
Actor Jiri Pleskot suddenly died in Prague December 1 at the age of
75. Pleskot was very active in several theaters throughout the country
as well as in film, known best in the role of Czechoslovak President
Eduard Benes.
Eva Fronkova/Gabriela Pecic
SPORTS
Handball Players Cannot Produce Miracle
Czech handball players toyed throughout their first match in the
world championships in Germany with a miraculous result. They led Russia
by as many as seven goals, but finally lost 24:27, halftime 10:12. "We
paid for Korandova's suspension," coach Vojtech Mares said about the key
moment in the match, which occurred in the fifth minute.
Tomas Mls/Mirek Langer
12 NHL Players Going to Nagano as Czech Olympic Team
Czech ice hockey national team coaches Ivan Hlinka and Slavomir
Lener published the names of the 12 NHL players who will start in the
Nagano Olympics.
Goalkeeper: Dominik Hasek (Buffalo).
Defenders: Richard Smehlik (Buffalo), Roman Hamrlik (Tampa Bay),
Petr Svoboda (Philadelphia), Jiri Slegr (Pittsburgh).
Forwards: Jaromir Jagr and Martin Straka (Pittsburgh), Martin
Prochazka (Toronto), Vaclav Prospal (Philadelphia), Robert Reichel (New
York Islanders), Martin Rucinsky (Montreal) and Vladimir Vujtek (Tampa
Bay).
Only an injured player from this group can be changed before the
tournament, the rest of the nominees will be published in the beginning
of January.
Jiri Polak/Mirek Langer
Korda Wins Golden Canary
Ninety-four tennis coaches, officials and journalists decided the
Golden Canary 1997 awards, announced in the City Theater in Prostejov
November 28. Petr Korda, world number 13, surprisingly won the trophy,
with Jana Novotna, new WTA Tour champion and world number two, behind
him.
Category results: Top male player - Korda. Top female player
- Novotna. Advance in the ATP rankings - Korda. Advance in the WTA
rankings - Kleinova. Top talent: Boys - Vik, girls - Bedanova. Top coach
- Navratil. Top handicapped player - Brychta.
Pavel Turek/Mirek Langer
Sparta Loses Historic Win in Italy after Referee Concocts Penalty
Sparta Praha players were happy, exhausted and sad together after
they lost a potential victory in the Champions League match in Parma
November 27, when Enrico Chiesa scored on a penalty shot in extra time.
Parma led after Chiesa scored his first goal in the 22nd minute, while
both Sparta's goals (scored by Novotny and Obajdin) came in the added
time.
The 2-2 tie is a great success for Sparta, which had never recorded
a point in European cup matches played in Italy. "If someone told me
after halftime we would get a point, I would think he was fool. But in
the end the referee stole the win from us," goalkeeper Tomas Postulka
said.
David Kozohorsky/Mirek Langer
Soccer League's Autumn Schedule Ends, Sparta Leads
Sparta Praha is enjoying first place after the 15 rounds of the
soccer league, losing only nine points from perfection because of three
ties and one loss. Slavia is 10 points behind, Brno is third. Plzen and
Bohdanec will have troubles staying in the league in the spring.
Results of the 15th round: Bohdanec - Opava 2-2, Olomouc - Dukla
1-1, Plzen - Jablonec 0-0, Ceske Budejovice - Brno 1-3, Liberec
- Drnovice 3-1, Slavia Praha - Ostrava 2-1, Teplice - Sparta Praha 1-1,
Zizkov - Hradec Kralove 1-2.
Standings: 1. Sparta Praha 36, 2. Slavia Praha 26, 3. Brno 24, 4.
Olomouc 24, 5. Liberec 24, 6. Drnovice 22, 7. Ostrava 22, 8. Jablonec
21, 9. Teplice 19, 10. Opava 19, 11. Dukla 19, 12. Hradec Kralove 19,
13. Zizkov 16, 14. Ceske Budejovice 16, 15. Plzen 12, 16. Bohdanec 7.
David Kozohorsky/Mirek Langer
Vitkovice Leads Hockey Extraleague Again
An earthquake occurred in the ice hockey extraleague standings
after the 28th and 29th rounds. Vitkovice defeated both Litvinov and
Opava, while its rival Trinec got only one point for its tie in Ceske
Budejovice and fell to third place. Slavia has played eight matches
without a loss and moved up to fourth place. Its goalkeeper Blazek has
allowed only one goal in the last three matches. Second-place Vsetin has
a no-loss streak of eight games, as well.
Results: 28th round: Litvinov - Vitkovice 5-6, Trinec - Ceske
Budejovice 4-4, Opava - Kladno 2-2, Plzen - Vsetin 0-1, Zlin - Jihlava
0-2, Slavia Praha - Karlovy Vary 6-0, Pardubice - Sparta Praha 2-2.
29th round: Vsetin - Pardubice 6-3, Jihlava - Litvinov 2-1, Karlovy
Vary - Zlin 3-6, Kladno - Plzen 3-3, Ceske Budejovice - Slavia Praha
1-3, Sparta Praha - Trinec 4-2, Opava - Vitkovice 1-2.
Standings: 1. Vitkovice 40, 2. Vsetin 39, 3. Trinec 38, 4. Slavia
Praha 33, 5. Litvinov 32, 6. Sparta Praha 32, 7. Plzen 32, 8. Jihlava
29, 9. Pardubice 28, 10. Zlin 26, 11. Ceske Budejovice 24, 12. Kladno
22, 13. Karlovy Vary 17, 14. Opava 14.
Ondrej Hanzal/Mirek Langer
WEATHER
Well, here we go. Not even the sun wants to come out and see Klaus.
It has been raining since the end of the last week and the word "sewer"
has become a symbol for rescue from drowning in the streets. I guess
Prague has a great chance to hold the swimming world championships. And
when we consider nighttime temperatures approach 0 degrees Celsius/32
degrees Farenheit, Prague could very easily turn into the world's
largest ice rink. What luck we have the government crisis and we can
write about something else.
Jaroslav Mares/Jana Ciglerova
English version edited by Michael Bluhm
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