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Carolina (English) No 335
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STUDENTS' E-MAIL NEWS FROM THE CZECH REPUBLIC
Charles University in Prague
Faculty of Social Sciences
Smetanovo nabr. 6
110 01 Prague 1
Czech Republic
e-mail: CAROLINA@mbox.fsv.cuni.cz
tel: (+4202) 22112252, fax: (+4202) 24810987
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
C A R O L I N A No 335, Friday, June 4, 1999.
FROM THE EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK (May 19 - June 2)
Jan Kasal Elected New Chairman of Christian Democrats
Jan Kasal was elected chairman of Christian Democratic
Union-Czechoslovak Peoples Party (KDU-CSL) by party delegates at the
national convention May 29-30 in Ceske Budejovice. Kasal replaces former
Chairman Josef Lux, who left his function after 8 years because of
leukemia.
Kasal's rival for the post, former Interior Minister Cyril Svoboda,
was elected first vice chairman. The other vice chairmen will be
Miroslav Kalousek, Tomas Kvapil and Pavel Severa. The new chairman, who
ran the party for the nine months since Lux's resignation, said he wants
to initiate negotiations with the leaders of all parliamentary parties
except the Communists. A government having a majority in the Chamber of
Deputies, unlike the current Social Democrat Cabinet, will probably not
soon arise: "Don't think that the talks I would like to initiate will
lead to some coalition being created by summer," said Kasal.
The convention was visited by the Prime Minister Milos Zeman, Civic
Democratic Party Chairman Vaclav Klaus and Freedom Union Chairman Jan
Ruml. All of them offered KDU-CSL cooperation. Zeman said he is not
trying to lure the Christian Democrats into a coalition. Ruml called on
the Christian Democrats to think about the future and long-range
cooperation with his party. Kasal said the two parties could create
a dual bloc. Smaller right-wing parties (such as the Democratic Union
and the Civic Democratic Alliance) should, Kasal said, merge with the
Union.
Jan Mates/Jakub Jirovec
Farmers Demonstrate in Prague for Saving the Countryside
To Save Czech Agriculture and Countryside was the motto of bitter
farmers who demonstrated June 1 in Prague's Old Town Square against the
Government's agricultural policy. "The Government is not fulfilling its
program statements, because the extent of agriculture is being reduced
and the countryside is being devastated", said Miroslav Jirovsky,
chairman of the Union of Agriculture Cooperatives and Companies,
according to the Czech daily MF DNES. The demonstration was attended by
at least 10,000 people.
According to Chairman of the Agrarian Chamber Vaclav Hlavacek,
agriculture is in such a state that farmers will be deprived of tens of
billions of crowns. Demonstrators asked for the immediate introduction
of minimum buyout prices (i.e., subsidies) for basic foodstuffs and for
the Government to force processors to pay for taken production within
30 days. Future social disturbances were hinted at.
Hlavacek said the Government is lacking some important laws, for
example concerning the right to cheap ("green") fuel and the protection
of the agricultural market. Agriculture Minister Jan Fencl on the day of
the demonstration said the Government is maintaining its program
statement and recalled some steps taken for the security of the market,
such as higher tariffs for wheat and sugar.
Linda Kholova/Sofia Karakeva
Senator Vaclav Benda Dies
Vaclav Benda, senator of the Civic Democratic Party (ODS), died
June 2. ODS Chairman Vaclav Klaus, also chairman of Parliament's Chamber
of Deputies, announced the news to deputies, who then held a minute of
silence in his honor. During the Communist regime, Benda was an active
member of the Charter 77 human rights movement and of the Committee for
the Defense of the Unjustly Persecuted. For his activity in the
committee he spent four years in prison. Before joining ODS he was
a member of the Christian Democratic Party, which he helped establish
and led for years. From 1990-92 he was a member of the presidium and
later vice chairman of the former Federal Assembly. In the Senate
elections of 1996 he won Prague's first district over former dissident
journalist and publisher Pavel Tigrid.
Radan Dolejs/Sofia Karakeva
Havel Released from Hospital in Satisfactory Condition
Czech President Vaclav Havel left Prague's Central Military
Hospital May 28, where he had been for a week. His recuperation is
continuing in the Lany chateau.
During the president's stay in the hospital he received a letter
from US President Bill Clinton, who thanked him for his support in
NATO's Kosovo operation and wished him a quick recovery.
Havel's office he should resume his regular schedule June 7.
Linda Kholova/Sofia Karakeva
Government Passes Controversial New Press Act
The Government May 26 passed the new Press Act, which contains some
paragraphs that could, say journalists, media experts and the bill's
opposition, restrict press freedom. The most controversial part is
probably the institute of the right to reply. According to this new
provision, anyone can request the press to publish his or her reply to
some report - including a factually correct report - which he or she
believes is detrimental to their dignity, honor or privacy.
"The right-to-reply paragraph is established to guarantee the
plurality of opinions," said Culture Minister Pavel Dostal. Media
experts said newspapers might stop reporting controversial information
in an effort to avoid a great deal of space being taken later by
replies. Freedom Union representatives said the provision is
interference in the freedom of the press. Some editors-in-chief said
they hope the law will be changed by Parliament.
The law also makes publishers responsible for the contents of the
press and bans reports aimed negatively at different racial, religious
or sexual orientations. The court can then impose a fine on the
publisher, or, if the law is violated for the second time, stop the
publishing of the periodical for one year. The bill also cancels the
existing registration of the press (publishers will be recorded at the
Ministry of Culture) and allows for the protection of sources.
Jan Mates/Jakub Jirovec
Government against Maticni Street Wall
The Government May 26 rejected the local executive's decision to
build a wall in the Nestemice district in the city of Usti nad Labem
that should separate the local inhabitants in family houses from Romany
(Gypsy) dwellers of the nearby public housing, who were moved there from
other parts of town after they did not pay rent in community-owned
apartment houses (see Carolina 329).
The Cabinet decided that the decision to erect the fence in Maticni
Street, made by the Nestemice municipality, is of a racist and
discriminatory nature. Therefore the Government ordered the Usti County
Executive to rethink the decision and vote on it again at the next
executive body session.
Jan Mates/Milan Smid
ODS States Political Ideals and Goals
The Civic Democratic Party (ODS) cleared up its political
intentions and central ideas at its "Ideology conference" in Prague May
29-30. ODS Chairman Vaclav Klaus, also the chairman of Parliament's
Chamber of Deputies, said the goals of the conference were reached and
ODS is now politically united.
ODS Vice Chairman Miroslav Macek said the main principles of ODS
policy are the maximum reduction of the tax burden and the
simplification of state administration and the legal system. He
expressed his ideas in a pamphlet called Four Articules for the Third
Millenium. According to Macek, ODS should win more than 50 per cent of
the vote in the next parliamentary elections.
Jan Mates/Zuzana Janeckova
NATO Maneuvers in Vyskov
NATO's Cooperative Guard 99 training maneuvers started May 27 in
Vyskov, Moravia. The exercises should prepare NATO forces for planning
and leading peacekeeping operations and for improving communication
between NATO forces and those of countries participating in the
Partnership for Peace project. The exercises, which will last until June
4, will take place mostly on maps and computers. They will present the
first exercises of the Eurocorps, a squad of soldiers from Belgium,
Luxembourg, France, Germany and Spain.
Linda Kholova/Sofia Karakeva
SLOVAKIA
Rudolf Schuster Elected President
In the presidential election runoff, Slovak citizens decided that
Kosice mayor and Chairman of the Civic Understanding Party (SOP) Rudolf
Schuster will be president of Slovakia for the next five years
(officially from June 15). He won 57.18 per cent of the vote and
defeated former Premier Vladimir Meciar, who received 42.82 per cent.
Afterwards, Schuster resigned his SOP membership, his post as
chairman and his post as Kosice mayor, as he promised a few days before
election. Schuster said he does not want to lose contact with ordinary
citizens, as has happened in the past. He said he prefers open dialogue
and politics without confrontation. On the television program The
Roundtable May 26 Schuster mentioned the role of the president as
initiator. "He should demonstrate that he knows how to connect people
and not to divide them. He should listen to their voice," he said. He
also said he would support improving relations with the Czech Republic,
which should be non-traditional.
Meciar said on election day that if he lost he would carry on as
chairman of the Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS).
Schuster's election was welcomed by the Government coalition
parties and foreigners. The opposition said it hopes Schuster would
become an outgoing politician who would be able to overcome the ongoing
confrontational political atmosphere.
Jana Kadlecova, Veronica Macias/Jan Martinek
Government Implements New Tariffs
Setting an import tariff of 7 per cent was the Slovak Government's
newest measure to resolve problems with the country's balance of
payments and foreign-currency reserves. The tariff came into force June
1 and should affect four-fifths of goods imported from foreign
countries, including the Czech Republic, with which Slovakia still has
a valid customs union.
According to the information in Hospodarske noviny provided by Anna
Jostiakova from the Slovak Economy Ministry, the tariff will decrease to
5 per cent January 1 and to 3 per cent six months later.
Petr Wilfer/Denisa Vitkova
ECONOMY
Government to Sell CSOB to Belgium's KBC Bank
Prime Minister Milos Zeman's Cabinet May 31 unanimously decided to
sell 66 per cent of the Czechoslovak Trade Bank (Ceskoslovenska obchodni
banka, CSOB) stock to the Belgian KBC Bank. The Belgians will pay
40.047 billion crowns, a few billion more than the two remaining
finalists - Deutsche Bank and HypoVereinsbank - were willing to pay. KBC
Bank made a commitment to invest 4 billion crowns into CSOB within the
next four years.
"The contract should be signed within a few weeks," said Finance
Minister Ivo Svoboda. Deputy Prime Minister Pavel Mertlik indicated that
Deutsche Bank was the Government's second choice and would step forward
should negotiations with KBC Bank break down.
The sale of CSOB was the biggest privatization transaction in the
Czech Republic, although the Government is still planning to sell two
larger banks - the Czech Savings Bank (Ceska Sporitelna, CS) and the
Commerce Bank (Komercni banka, KB) - which, according to finance
experts, should present more complicated privatization projects.
Radan Dolejs/Denisa Vitkova
IPB Will Lend CKD Money To Produce Trams
CKD Transport Systems will resume production of trams for Manila.
The Investment and Postal Bank (Investicni a postovni banka, IPB) will
provide a loan of 340 billion crowns, thanks to a decision made by
IPB's board of directors June 1, with the condition that the loan can be
used only for producing the trams (see Carolina 334 for details on
CKD's difficulties). IPB hopes the loan will create better conditions
for the Consolidation Bank, which is trying to find a strategic partner
for CKD.
The labor union said it appreciates the loan as well. CKD Transport
Systems KOVO labor union Chairman Jan Zlatnik said most of the employees
would return to work June 7. He said he also hopes that wages, unpaid
since March, will finally be distributed. The employees should receive
part of their wages at the end of this or at the beginning of next week.
Radan Dolejs/Denisa Vitkova
Exchange Rates at the Czech National Bank (valid June 4)
------------------------------------------------------------
1 EUR = 37.515
country currency CZK
------------------------------------------
Australia 1 AUD 23.318
Great Britain 1 GBP 58.066
Denmark 1 DKK 5.049
Japan 100 JPY 29.735
Canada 1 CAD 24.471
IMF 1 XDR 48.484
Hungary 100 HUF 15.078
Norway 1 NOK 4.558
New Zealand 1 NZD 18.980
Poland 1 PLN 9.057
Greece 100 GRD 11.587
Slovakia 100 SKK 82.273
Slovenia 100 SIT 19.399
Sweden 1 SEK 4.199
Switzerland 1 CHF 23.544
USA 1 USD 36.152
Exchange Rates of countries particpating in the euro
(converted from the euro rate)
country currency CZK
-----------------------------------------
Germany 1 DEM 19.181
Belgium 100 BEF 92.997
Finland 1 FIM 6.310
France 1 FRF 5.719
Ireland 1 IEP 47.634
Italy 1000 ITL 19.375
Luxemburg 100 LUF 92.997
Netherlands 1 NLG 17.024
Portugal 100 PTE 18.712
Austria 1 ATS 2.726
Spain 100 ESP 22.547
CULTURE
One World Film Festival
The french documentary La Flaca Alejandra opened the first year of
the One World human rights film festival May 26. The festival took place
in three Prague cinemas - the French Institute, Evald and Mat.
Alina Fernandez, Fidel Castro's daughter and an opponent of her
father's regime, tells the story of her childhood in the movie Branded
by Paradise and was among the festival's guests.
The festival jury gave prizes to three films. Fear, directed by
Leonid Mindlin, which shows the realistic face of President Alexandr
Lukashenko's new socialism in today's Belarus, was named the best film.
The prize for best director was given to Majram Jassup for the film
Mission, which reflects the situation of the war-torn country
Tajikistan. The Belgian documentary The Dead Are Alive by Anna van der
Wee, which records the Rwanda genocide, received the prize as the film
with the greatest impact.
"There are three reasons why we need such a festival. To know
what's going on, to take a stand and to understand that we are not
powerless and can influence things," said Igor Blazevic, director of the
festival and one of the leaders of the People in Need foundation.
There will be one more chance to see the festival's films in
Prague's Aero cinema and in the cinema of the Prague City Library.
Proceeds from the festival support the SOS Kosovo foundation.
Linda Kholova/Zuzana Janeckova
Prague Audience Charmed by Spanish Flamenco Magicians Once Again
Not even tropical heat in Prague's Slavia Stadium was able to spoil
the extraordinary experience of the Spanish guitar magician and king of
flamenco Paco de Lucia. The virtuoso from Andalusia visited the Czech
Republic for the third time. His first performance was in Brno in 1996,
one year later he performed in Prague's Lucerna concert hall.
De Lucia, accompanied as before by a septet, focused on tunes from
his last album Luzia. As usual, the tempo of the concert was well
maintained, with the show kicked off by de Lucia alone, then joined
gradually by more and more instruments, escalating to a peak reached the
performance of dancer Joaquin Grilo.
De Lucia was born in 1947 as Francisco Gomez, and at age 13 was
already winning prizes for his guitar work. He gained worldwide fame in
the supertrio, where he played together with Al di Meola and John
McLaughlin (an earlier version of the trio had featured de Lucia with
McLaughlin and Larry Coryell). In the last three years Lucia has
performed with his own band.
Jan Mates/Milan Smid
CULTURE IN BRIEF:
* Petruska Sustrova, commentator for the daily Lidove noviny,
received the Karel Havlicek Borovsky Prize for journalist work in 1998.
Zdenek Rotrekl won the award for lifetime journalism work. The prize for
young journalists was given to Robert Zaruba.
* At the end of the 39th International Film Festival for Children and
Young People the awards were announced live on Czech Television. The
animated film Mumps received the main prize of the international
commission - the Golden Slipper. Another animated movie, The Magic Bell
from Aurel Klimt got the prize of Hermina Tyrlova for debut. Eight other
prizes were given to foreign movies. Czech director Vera
Plivova-Simkova was recognized for her lifetime achievement.
Linda Kholova/Zuzana Janeckova
SPORTS
Olomouc to UEFA Cup, Pilsen to Second League
The last, 30th round of the Gambrinus Soccer League answered the
league's remaining questions - Sigma Olomouc will be the second
participant in next year's UEFA Cup, accompanying Czech Cup winner
Slavia Praha. Viktoria Pilsen (Plzen) fell to the second league with FC
Karvina, which had its fate sealed earlier. Sparta Praha's league
championship was guaranteed two rounds before the end of the season.
Olomouc's European cups started looking up after a 29th-round tie
at Sparta Praha. In the last round, Olomouc played at home against
second-place Teplice, who might have been lacking motivation with their
second place and spot in the Champions League assured. Jiri Balcarek and
Stanislav Vlcek's goals allowed Olomouc to prepare for the European Cup
for the second year in a row.
The biggest surprise of the round occurred in Hradec Kralove, which
managed to save its place in the league for its next season with one
round to go. Hradec, without any pressure to win, defeated league champ
Sparta 2-1.
Three teams fought to avoid relegation to the second league. Opava
picked up a point after a scoreless tie with Ostrava, which lost its
motivation after finding out that Olomouc took the lead against Teplice
(if Olomouc had lost, Ostrava could have advanced to the UEFA Cup).
Opava had its biggest problems with its opponent's fans. Plzen began its
game badly against Jablonec and could not overcome a 0-3 deficit.
Jablonec will stay in the league, while Plzen says farewell to the top
level of competition for the first time since the Czech Republic came
into existence out of the former Czechoslovakia. Bohemians Praha and
Ceske Budejovice, the respective winner and second-place finisher of the
second league, will advance to the top league next year.
Results of the 30th round: Olomouc - Teplice 2-0, Plzen - Jablonec
2-3, Opava - Ostrava 0-0, Hradec Kralove - Sparta Praha 2-1, Liberec
- Pribram 4-0, Karvina - Zizkov 1-1, Drnovice - Brno 0-0, Slavia Praha
- Blsany 5-2.
Final standings of the Gambrinus Soccer League 1998-99
GS-GA PTS
1. Sparta Praha 62-23 60
2. FK Teplice 55-30 55
3. Slavia Praha 51-33 55
4. Sigma Olomouc 42-34 47
5. Banik Ostrava 39-26 45
6. Chmel Blsany 48-44 42
7. Boby Brno 37-33 41
8. Hradec Kralove 33-40 39
9. Slovan Liberec 33-34 38
10. Viktoria Zizkov 31-47 38
11. Petra Drnovice 35-44 37
12. FK Jablonec 37-46 35
13. Dukla Pribram 28-41 33
14. Slezsky FC Opava 40-54 32
15. Viktoria Plzen 26-43 32
16. FC Karvina 28-55 23
SPORTS IN BRIEF
* All Czech players have been eliminated from the singles side of the
French Open, the second tennis Grand Slam tournament of the season.
Bohdan Ulihrach lost 4-6, 4-6, 2-6 to 1997 champion, Gustavo Kuerten of
Brazil in the fourth round of the men's singles. Jana Novotna, fourth in
the WTA rankings, also went out in the fourth round, losing 3-6, 5-7 to
unseeded Sylvia Plischke of Austria.
* Goalkeeper Dominik Hasek was a key contributor to the Buffalo
Sabres' 4-1 win against Toronto in the NHL Eastern Conference finals.
Buffalo advanced to the Stanley Cup finals, beating Toronto four games
to one. Hasek returned after an injury and helped the team to three wins
in a row. In the second semifinal series between Dallas and Colorado,
Czech forward Milan Hejduk broke his collarbone after a hard check from
Dallas' Richard Matvichuk and finished his season.
* The Czech Republic women's basketball team advanced to the
quarterfinals of the European Championships in Poland. It defeated Italy
67-52, Bosnia and Herzegovina 90-59 and Poland 78-75 in overtime, and it
lost to Lithuania 76-86 in overtime and to Yugoslavia 75-85. The Czech
players will meet Russia in the quarterfinals.
* After deadline: Jana Novotna withdrew from the quarterfinal of the
women's doubles because of injury. She collided with her partner,
Zvereva of Belarus, and sprained her ankle. Although her injury seemed
quite serious, the ankle is not broken and Novotna still hopes to
participate in Wimbledon, where she won a title last year.
Sport news prepared by Petr Wilfer/Mirek Langer
WEATHER
Our early summer (see Carolina 334) continues.
English version edited by Michael Bluhm.
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