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Carolina (English) No 297
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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: (+420 2) 24810804, ext. 252, fax: (+420 2) 24810987
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
C A R O L I N A No 297, Friday, July 17, 1998.
EVENTS OF THE PAST TWO WEEKS (JULY 1-15) FROM THE CZECH REPUBLIC
CSSD and ODS Sign Opposition Contract, Cabinet to Belong to CSSD
Negotiations on a new Czech government came to an end July 9 with an
opposition contract signed between the election winner Social Democrats
(CSSD, 74 seats in the 200-member Chamber of Deputies) and runner-up
Civic Democratic Party (ODS, 63 seats). Social Democrat Chairman Milos
Zeman thus managed to fulfill the task entrusted to him by President
Vaclav Havel.
In the Contract for the Creation of a Stable Political Environment
in the Czech Republic both sides are bound:
- to respect the election victor's right to set up a government and to
demonstrate that respect with the absence of the runner-up's deputies
during the vote of confidence in the government (article I),
- to respect the right of the second-strongest party to be the
opposition with the right to occupy the function of chairman in both
Parliament chambers (articles II, III),
- to proceed by agreement in establishing the organs of Parliament and
to respect the right of the opposition party to chair Parliament's
organs of control (Commission for the Control of the Security
Information Service, Commission for the Control of Military Defense
Intelligence) and the Budget Committee, as well as the presidency of the
Supreme Control Office (articles IV, V),
- during the term of office not to call for a vote of no confidence in
the government nor support such an initiative, although the parties are
not bound for any votes on legislation, including the budget (article
VI),
- within 12 months of the signing of the contract to submit proposals
for changes to the Constitution and other laws (see below), which that
will name more accurately the competences of constitutional offices
(art. VII),
- in case of a need to consult subjects of foreign and domestic policy
before being discussed in Parliament (art. VIII),
- during the contract's validity not to join a coalition or to come to
an agreement with a third political party which could thus gain a place
in the government or a position covered in the contract, nor to close
a long-term agreement on voting in Parliament and not to propose without
previous consultation a non-party member for a spot in the government
(art. IX). The last article is about cancelling the contact in case of
a breach of one of the above articles and about settlement proceedings
in the case of non-fulfillment of the contract.
After Zeman and ODS Chairman Vaclav Klaus signed the contract they
emphasized that this is not a coalition agreement and their parties
remain political rivals.
Christian Democrats and Freedom Union Protest against Contract
Chairmen Josef Lux of the Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL) and Jan Ruml
of the Freedom Union (US) consider the contract between the two most
powerful parties undemocratic and unconstitutional. They said the
contract forces Social Democrat and Civic Democratic Party deputies to
vote according to the wishes of party headquarters and not according to
their own conscience.
"We are convinced that this contract, which is to be the basis of
the new government, is undemocratic and unconstitutional. I think that
the train of this agreement is heading toward Slovakia," said Lux after
the contract was signed, according to the Czech daily MF DNES June 10.
According to the daily, Ruml compared this document to the totalitarian
constitution. "The only difference is that in the communist constitution
the leading role belonged to one party, today the leading role belongs
to two parties," said Ruml.
Social Democrat Chairman Milos Zeman offered KDU-CSL and US
positions in his government immediately at the beginning of government
negotiations, including offers to name Lux prime minister and the right
for any party to veto proposals. Ruml refused the generous offer, Lux
refused to join a government with Zeman alone, and both parties thus
fell into the opposition. A majority coalition between the ODS, KDU-CSL
and US (102 seats) had no chance for formation because of demands by US
and KDU-CSL for representation in the government and for the absence of
Vaclav Klaus.
Lux and Ruml asked President Vaclav Havel July 9 not to accept the
contract. Havel asked legal experts for advice.
Director of the Institute of the State and Law Vladimir Ballas said
he found nothing unconstitutional in the contract.
CSSD and ODS Prepare Changes in Czech Constitution
The chairmen of the two most powerful parties - the Social Democrats
(CSSD) and the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) - agree that changes have to
be made in the Czech Constitution. The changes, mentioned in the
contract signed between the two parties, should define more precisely
the authorities of constitutional offices and related procedures, as
a way to strengthen the meaning of election results.
The proposals being discussed focus on changing the proportional
election system for Parliament into a majority system and also a more
accurate definition of the president's powers. According to the Czech
daily MF DNES, the Social Democrats would gladly add to the constitution
the position of protector of human right protection - an ombudsman - and
bring into practice the referendum. ODS is mainly concerned with changes
to the Election Act. Both parties agree on the necessity of modifying
the president's powers. According to Social Democrat deputy and possible
future Interior Minister Vaclav Grulich, many of president's authority
powers are "unclear and nonsensical." "The procedure for the president
foremost during the post-election period should be defined more clearly.
The constitution should definitely contain deadlines that the president
will have to adhere to, for example in naming a prime minister," said
ODS deputy Vlastimil Tlusty.
CSSD and ODS, with 137 seats in the Parliament, should not have any
problems in passing in Parliament.
According to the Czech daily Lidove noviny, the Freedom Union was
the first party to advocate changes in the Constitution because of the
"permanent danger" of the return of extremist parties into Parliament.
Czech Media Speculate about Positions in New Government
In recent days the Czech media have speculated about the nominees in
the coming Social Democrat (CSSD) Cabinet. The only confirmed news is
that President Vaclav Havel is to name Social Democrat Chairman Milos
Zeman prime minister on the evening of June 17. The Cabinet should be
named July 22, before Havel undergoes a colon-related operation.
The Czech daily Pravo published its version of the coming government
June 7, while the daily MF DNES (MFD) brought out a similar list June
9:
- Prime Minister: Milos Zeman, CSSD chairman, Parliament deputy
- Minister of Industry and Trade: Pravo suggests CSSD deputy Miroslav
Gregr, MFD mentions Jan Vrba, an independent and CSSD consultant
- Minister of Justice: Pavel Rychetsky, CSSD senator (Pravo adds that
Rychetsky decided to join the government after his wife's approval)
- Minister of Labor and Social Affairs: Vladimir Spidla, CSSD vice
chairman
- Minister of the Interior: Vaclav Grulich, CSSD deputy
- Minister of Finance: Ivo Svoboda, CSSD vice chairman
- Minister of Defense: according to Pravo this position remains
uncertain, with possible candidates including CSSD consultant and
sociologist Antonin Rask, a non-party member, MFD has no doubts that
this position will be taken by Rask
- Minister of Foreign Affairs: Pravo mentions Jan Kavan, CSSD deputy,
MFD Egon Lansky, CSSD senator
- Minister of Culture: Pavel Dostal, CSSD deputy
- Minister of Transportation: both dailies agreed on CSSD expert
spokesman Antonin Peltram, although MFD and television also mention
former CSSD deputy Kvetoslava Korinkova, Peltram's wife
- Minister of Agriculture: Jan Fencl, CSSD expert spokesman
- Minister of Environment: Milos Kuzvart, CSSD member
- Minister for Regional Development: Pravo mentions Jaromir Cisar, an
independent(? - the Czech article does not mention), MFD suggests Vlasta
Stepova or Stanislav Krecek, CSSD deputies
- Minister of Health: Ivan David, CSSD deputy, MFD also mentions
Vladimir Kocandrle, an independent
- Minister of Education: Eduard Zeman, CSSD deputy
- Minister without Portfolio, intelligence services: Jaroslav Basta,
CSSD deputy.
Newly Elected Deputies Have First Meeting
The first meeting of the new Parliament took place July 15.
Deputies took their vows from presiding Chairman Milos Zeman - of the
200 deputies, 89 are new. The election of a new legislature leadership
is scheduled for July 17. Former Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus should be
elected as chairman of the lower house of Parliament, according to the
contract signed by the Social Democrats and Klaus' Civic Democratic
Party, which together hold 136 seats.
Calendar of Other News Events in Early July
* July 1: The government of Prime Minister Josef Tosovsky,
disappointed with the increased expenses for the construction of the
Temelin (JETE) nuclear power station and with the regular delaying of
its completion, decided that the economic aspects of JETE should be
evaluated by an independent team of Czech and foreign experts. Trade
Minister Karel Kuhnl and Environment Minister Martin Bursik should
propose the body of this team by July 28. The new cabinet formed by the
early Parliament elections should receive by the end of the year the
results of this evaluation and could make an objective decision about
the future of JETE.
* July 2. The first mosque in the Czech Republic was officially opened
in Videnska Street in Brno. Because of the protests of local citizens
the Building Office did not allow the construction of a minaret or dome.
The construction of the mosque lasted about a year and cost 4.5 million
crowns. According to Mohamed Ali Silhavy, chairman of the Central Office
of Muslim Communities, 400 Muslims live in the Czech Republic, but also
students, businessman and other followers of the Islam religion are
estimated to be in the thousands. The mosque was to be built in Teplice
but local citizens were against it. Another mosque will be built in
Prague and in another Czech city as yet unknown.
* July 2: Journalist Jiri Kanturek, born March 13, 1932 in Pisek, died
in Prague. After the year 1968 he could not work as a journalist and was
a member of the dissident movement. After the Velvet Revolution in 1989
he was one of the spokespersons of the Civic Forum and became the last
director of the Czechoslovak Television (he remained in the position
until 1992). In recent years he was Social Democrat spokesman, later
spokesman for party Chairman Milos Zeman and this year he worked as
Zeman's advisor.
* July 3: President Vaclav Havel and his wife Dagmar received from the
Regional Court in Brno a judgment of 5 million crowns as compensation
for the billboard known as Vaclavka and Dasenka. The billboard
advertises Ravelli shoes and shows a fox terrier (Dasenka is a famous
canine hero of writer Karel Capek) licking a mushroom-shaped bust of
Vaclav Havel. The creator of the billboard is Milan Knizak, rector of
the Academy of the Arts. The Havels said they felt offended by the
advertisement and especially by the motto "Wear Ravelli - Fuck the
World." Presidential spokesman Ladislav Spacek confirmed the information
given by the Czech daily that the Havels will give the money to the
victims of last year's floods.
* July 4, 5: The first meeting of the Coordination Council of the
Czech-German Discussion Forum was held in Pilsen (Plzen). The council
scheduled the annual meeting of the Discussion Forum for December 4-5 in
Dresden. According to the Czech daily Pravo, the subject to be discussed
is the responsibility of the Czech Republic and Germany in European
unification, cooperation in border areas and the possibilities of the
social and political activization of youth. The daily also stated that
Franz Neubaeur, chairman of the Sudeten German Association, did not
speak about the demands of Sudeten Germans expelled after World War II
but about youth exchange programs. The Discussion Forum was founded
through the Czech-German Declaration and the council is to ensure
balance in the dialogue between the countries.
* July 8: President Vaclav Havel announced that Senate elections will
be held November 13-14, with the run-off round to take place one week
later. The elections will take place in the 27 of 81 election districts
in which senators were elected to two-year terms in the fall of 1996.
Another third of the election districts gave their representatives
four-year terms, and the other third six-year terms, six years being set
in the Constitution as the term of office for a senator. In future
elections, one-third of the Senate will be up for election every two
years, while terms of office for all senators will conform to the
Constitution.
* July 12: President Valcav Havel accused the Civic Democratic Party
of thinking about impeaching him on charges of high treason during an
interview provided to TV Prima. The plan was, Havel said, being prepared
in the ODS Senate club. Havel himself has not verified this information,
but said that it comes from a reliable source. ODS said it considers the
accusations as another act of malice by Havel against the party. ODS
Vice Chairman Miroslav Macek said, "in medicine it's called paranoia."
FROM SLOVAKIA
National Assembly Transfers Some Presidential Powers
The Slovak National Assembly July 14 approved the government's
proposed changes to the Constitution which transfer the president's
ability to name and recall the government to the chairman of the
assembly in the event that the position of president is unoccupied.
The changes were approved by all 131 present assemblymen. They thus
avoided the potential constitutional crisis which could have arisen
after the fall elections, when the government would have no one to whom
it could submit its resignation. Slovakia has been without a president
since March 2, when Michal Kovac's term of office ended, as it has not
been possible to elect a successor.
ECONOMY
Unemployment Rises in June from 5.3 Per Cent to 5.6 Per Cent
Unemployment compared with June 1997 rose by 1.6 per cent. The
lowest unemployment continues to be in the Prague area (ranging from
0.8 per cent to 1.4 per cent) and in the area of Mlada Boleslav, where
the Skoda car manufacturer is located (2.4 per cent). The highest rates
are in the north - in the counties of Most (13.6 per cent), Chomutov
(12.2 per cent) and Karvina (11.6 per cent), and also in central
Moravia, in the Prerov region (10.3 per cent). The numbers were released
July 10 by the Labor Ministry.
Exchange Rates at the Czech National Bank
(valid July 17)
country currency
------------------------------------------
Australia 1 AUD 20.267
Belgium 100 BEF 86.653
Great Britain 1 GBP 52.451
Denmark 1 DKK 4.693
Finland 1 FIM 5.878
France 1 FRF 5.330
Ireland 1 IEP 44.950
Italy 1000 ITL 18.124
Japan 100 JPY 23.000
Canada 1 CAD 21.576
Luxemburg 100 LUF 86.653
Hungary 100 HUF 14.744
Netherlands 1 NLG 15.854
Norway 1 NOK 4.225
New Zealand 1 NZD 16.990
Poland 1 PLN 9.285
Portugal 100 PTE 17.474
Austria 1 ATS 2.540
Greece 100 GRD 10.710
Germany 1 DEM 17.870
Slovakia 100 SKK 91.578
Slovenia 100 SIT 18.910
Spain 100 ESP 21.058
Sweden 1 SEK 4.022
Switzerland 1 CHF 21.287
USA 1 USD 32.094
ECU 1 XEU 35.301
IMF 1 XDR 42.687
Note to the Exchange Rates: The Czech National Bank, which this week
intervened against the rise of the crown, stated that the rate of less
than 18 crowns to the deutschmark has no basis in economic developments.
Experts believe the crown's strength springs from the advantageous
interest rates given by Czech banks.
CULTURE
Karlovy Vary Film Festival Filled with Highlights
The 33rd Karlovy Vary International Film Feivtival, which ran from
July 3-11, will forever be remembered for director Jiri Menzel's
premeditated attack on producer Jiri Sirotek, but the week also saw
hundreds of films and thousands of satisfied festivalgoers. The assualt
took place July 9 in a theater full of spectators, when Menzel appeared
with a cane and began thrashing Sirotek, who was treated for
a concussion at a local hospital. Menzel said he planned the incident to
punish Sirotek for depriving Menzel of the chance to film recently
deceased novelist Bohumil Hrabal's I Served the King of England. Menzel
and Sirotek have been fighting over the rights to the film since
Hrabal's death, with the result being that neither man will probably be
involved in the film, if it is ever made. Menzel had been something of
a court director for Hrabal's works, as his version of Closely Watched
Trains won the 1968 Oscar for best foreign-language film; Menzel also
filmed Hrabal's Cutting It Short (Postriziny). The festival was abuzz
after the attack, and a photo of Menzel with cane held high appeared on
the front page of the tabloid daily Blesk the following day. Menzel has
been charged with assault.
Highlights planned by festival organizers included an appearance by
Lou Reed at a screening of the documentary Lou Reed: Rock and Roll Heart
(the festival also showed documentaries about Neil Young, filmed by Jim
Jarmusch, a documentary of Bob Marley's last concert and a documentary
on the history of electronic dance music, Modulations). The biggest
reaction, however, might have been created by the star of the film Slam,
which won the main prize at the Sundance Film Festival and deals with
a young black writer's time in jail. The actor, after the midnight
showing of the film, recited his rapid-fire, high-volume verses to the
1,000-strong audience for some minutes, and then moved with some of the
audience to the dance club in the the basement of the Thermal Hotel,
where most festival events take place.
The main prize of the festival was taken by the Canadian film Heart
in the Hand. Aside from the section of competing films, the section
Horizons featured new films from well known directors, some of the films
already sporting awards from other festivals, while the section Another
View showed films from the farthest reaches of Asia and other regions,
while the section East of the West showed new films from this area of
Europe. Another big success was the section of films chosen by the
critics of Variety magazine. Altogether the festival showed 265 films to
some 15,000 festivalgoers, while festival organizers showed boasted of
465 film showings and more than 125,000 tickets.
Jubilee 40th Year of Smetana's Litomysl Finished by Slovak Singers
A concert by Slovak soloists Peter Dvorsky and Lubica Vagicova July
5 closed the 40th year of the musical festival Smetana's Litomysl
(composer Bedrich Smetana was born in 1824 in this eastern Bohemian
city). The excited crowd awarded long standing ovations to both singers.
As the daily Slovo wrote, this year's festival was divided into
three weekends, during which about 12,000 spectators visited six operas
and eight concerts. Antonin Dvorak and Bedrich Smetana's music dominated
the program, Smetana's My Country performed by the Czech Philharmonic
Orchestra and his opera Libuse with soprano Eva Urbanova in the title
role were among the highlights of the festival. The program also
contained the Czech premiere of Lancaster's version of Sergei
Prokofiev's oratorio Ivan The Terrible.
SPORTS
Jana Novotna Wins Three Tournaments in a Row, Including Fabled Wimbledon
Jana Novotna's name is written among the winners of Grand Slam
tournaments after she won the 1998 Wimbledon tournament July 4. The
29-year-old Novotna was the oldest player of the world elite who had not
yet won a Grand Slam title. She played her third Wimbledon final (having
lost to Steffi Graf in 1993 and Martina Hingis in 1997) and defeated
France's Natalie Tauziat 6-4 and 7-6. "It was a very hard match. The
match against Martina Hingis compared to that was a walk in the park,"
Novotna said, advancing into second place in the world rankings thanks
to the win.
The day after, Novotna and Hingis won the doubles tournament, making
Novotna the biggest winner at this year's Wimbledon. It was world
number-one Hingis who lost to Novotna in the singles semifinal 4-6, 4-6.
Novotna then won her third tournament in a row (after Eastbourne and
Wimbledon) on the clay courts of Prague's Stvanice. In the final of the
most star-studded Skoda Czech Open ever she defeated France's Sandrine
Testud 6-3, 6-0.
Petr Korda lost in Wimbledon in the quarterfinals to England's Tim
Henman 3-6, 4-6, 2-6.
Augusta Becomes National Team Coach Hlinka's Assistant
Ivan Hlinka finished searching for a new assistant for the national
hockey team, choosing 51-year-old Jihlava coach Josef Augusta. Augusta
accepted the offer, but he will continue in Jihlava, as well. Hlinka and
Augusta are popular thanks to their arguments about hockey.
Hlinka wanted to continue having assistant Slavomir Lener, with whom
he led the Czech national team to the Nagano Olympics gold medal.
However, Lener gave priority to the post of top assistant coach with the
NHL's Florida Panthers.
Thirty-Eight Athletes to Go to European Track and Field Championships
In spite of cold and rainy weather at the track and field national
championships in Jablonec ruining an expected wave of qualifiers for the
European championships, the Czech Track and Field Union decided to
enlarge the existing ranks of 25 who had met the qualifying minimums.
The union nominated 38 athletes to participate in Budapest.
Men: Morkes, Bohman, Drimal, Krsek, Slehobr, Muzik, Podebradsky,
Stejfa, Skvara, Blaha, Vydra, Pesava (track), Jan a Tomas Janku, Kovar,
Kuntos (jumps), Malina, Sedlacek, Maska (throwing disciplines), Dvorak,
Sebrle (decathlon), Holusa a Malysa (walks).
Women: Vostatkova, Suchovska, Formanova, Benesova, Fuchsova,
Burianova, Suldesova, Novotna (track), Kovacikova, Kasparkova, Bartova,
Hamackova (jumps), Tomeckova, Silhava (throwing disciplines), Nekolna
(septathlon).
SPORTS IN BRIEF
* Czech cyclist Jan Svorada won the national championship and then won
the second stage of the Tour de France and wore the green jersey as best
sprinter.
* Both Czech teams were eliminated in the second round of the soccer
Intertoto Cup - Boby Brno against Espanyol Barcelona (5-3 and 0-2) and
Hradec Kralove against Hungary's Debrecen (0-0 and 1-1) went home
because of a lower number of goals scored on the opponents' field.
* Sparta Prague will probably meet Dynamo Kiev in the preliminary
round of the soccer Champions League. Dynamo won one of the groups in
the competition last year.
* Three soccer first-league coaches are leaving their teams - Petr
Zemlik from Opava, Jan Kocian from Drnovice and Karel Jarolim from
Dukla.
* The volleyball European Championships bronze medalist Czech women's
team finished qualification for the next tournament with a fiasco - they
won one of eight matches.
* The Czech men's team won the bronze medal in the European Triathlon
Championships in Velden, Austria.
WEATHER
Not so hot, it seems like it's always raining, but it's really more
of a drizzle, so gardeners have to water anyway. Children haven't yet
been able to enjoy summer vacation much, but this kind of summer
probably only suits those who have yet to go on vacation. But they're
growing - mushrooms, that is.
This issue of Carolina was prepared by Bohdana Rambouskova, Lida
Truneckova, Mirek Langer and Michael Bluhm, and was translated by Sofia
Karakeva, Mirek Langer and Michael Bluhm. The next issue will be
released July 31.
English version edited by Michael Bluhm
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