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Carolina (English) No 368
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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 ISSN 121-5040
tel: (+4202) 22112252, fax: (+4202) 22112219
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
C A R O L I N A No 368, Friday, March 24, 2000.
FROM THE EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK (March 15 - March 22)
Government's Election Reform Bill Allows Voting Abroad
The Social Democrat Government kept its agreement with the Civic
Democratic Party (ODS) and approved the proposal of amendments to
Parliamentary and Local Election Act March 15. The amendments would
bring many changes which, in theory, favor large parties.
Elections to the Chamber of Deputies will maintain their
proportional system, but some elements of the majority system were
radically strengthened. Instead of the eight existing districts there
will be 35 smaller ones, each electing from four to six deputies. To
earn seats in the Chamber of Deputies, parties will still need at least
5 per cent of the vote, two-party coalitions 7 per cent and four-party
coalitions 11 per cent. The changes should mean a majority government
can be formed by two parties.
Approving the bill would mean a radical breakthrough for Czech
citizens who live abroad. They would be ale to vote at consulates and
embassies headed by a Czech diplomat. People without Czech citizenship
will be able to vote (or be elected) in the local elections providing
they are permanent residents in the area.
According to additional agreements between the Social Democrats and
ODS concluded at the beginning of this year, Parliament should approve
of the amendments by the end of July. The amendments would come into
force in 2002, i.e. in the year of the next Parliamentary elections.
Deputies of the Communist Party (KSCM), the Christian Democrats
(KDU-CSL) and the Freedom Union (US) are against the law, but ODS and
the Social Democrats will have the simple majority needed for the
passing of the bill in the Chamber.
Lenka Ludvikova/Simon Dominik
Zeman Takes Responsibility for Secret Service
Prime Minister Milos Zeman met Jan Klas, Chairman of the Chamber of
Deputies' Committee for the Control of the Security Information Service
(Bezpecnostni informacni sluzba - BIS) March 20. Klas, a Civic
Democratic Party (ODS) member, was one of the critics of Zeman's
decision to oversee himself the activities of BIS. This had been the
competence of former Minister Jaroslav Basta, but Zeman did not want to
give the responsibility to Basta's successor Karel Brezina. Klas said he
agreed with Zeman's intentions after the meeting.
The Army Defense Intelligence (Vojenske obranne zpravodajstvi) and
General Staff Intelligence Service (Zpravodajska sluzba generalniho
stabu) will remain under the Defense Ministry, while the Office for
Foreign Relations and Information (Urad pro zahranicni styky
a informace) will now be managed by the Foreign Ministry.
Zeman and Klas also discussed the conflict between the prime
minister and President Vaclav Havel. The controversy concerns two
special police forces: the Unit for Fighting Organized Crime (Utvar pro
boj s organizovanym zlocinem) and the Service for Investigating
Corruption and Serious Economic Crime (Sluzba pro odhalovani korupce
a zavazne hospodarske kriminality). The president has visited these
forces recently and expressed his satisfaction with and support for
their work. Interior Minister Vaclav Grulich expressed similar thoughts.
However, Zeman said the opposite is true. During a meeting of the Social
Democrat party Presidium March 11, he said "analysis of their work shows
their productivity is in no way shining." The situation escalated to
such an extent that the president authorized BIS March 13 to find out
whether someone was trying to destabilize the forces.
Zeman and Klas said they were surprised that the President
"trumpeted," in Zeman's words, that he asked BIS to investigate.
Director of the Political Section of the Office of the President Pavel
Fischer said it was intentional and useful in its result. The Committee
for the Control of BIS discussed the conflict March 21 but did not take
any decisions. The deputies agreed that the conflict should not have
been discussed in the media.
Jan Skala and Jan Moravek/Simon Dominik
Hitler's Mein Kampf in Stores
Adolf Hitler's book Mein Kampf (My Struggle) was released and has
been on sale in stores since March 21.
It is the third Czech edition (the second since November 1989), but
the protests and public discussion surrounding this version have been
significant - it is the first time Mein Kampf has been published without
any introduction, commentary or notes, yet the work itself is complete
and has an unusually large first run - 10,000 copies. The loudest
objections come from the Federation of Jewish Communities, the Czech
Freedom Fighters Union, and many politicians and historians are also
protesting. The debate on freedom of expression will probably be
concretely tested by criminal charges against the publisher - Michal
Zitek from the Otakar II publishing house. He says he wants to publish
books that fundamentally influenced modern history, his upcoming titles
including the Communist Manifesto and Capital.
Marek Uhlir/Ondrej Maly
Jana Volfova Creates "Women's Shadow Cabinet"
Social Democrat deputy Jana Volfova fulfilled her promise March 16
and introduced the women's shadow Cabinet, formed exclusively by
females. Her idea was born when Prime Minister Milos Zeman recently
explained that to this point all his ministers have been men because
they had shown themsleves to be more professionally qualified. Volfova
said she wanted to prove there were many female professionals in the
Czech Republic capable of creating their own program and solving major
problems.
Among the shadow ministers is 1983 world champion shot-putter
Helena Fibingerova (Youth and Sports), writer Eva Kanturkova (Culture),
Czech Railways General Inspector Kvetoslava Korinkova (Transportation)
and Deputy Interior Minister Yvonne Streckova (Interior). No prime
minister or defense minister was named, because, Volfova said, "we
already have one prime minister and we do not want an army."
Tereza Tesarikova/Ondrej Maly
NEWS IN BRIEF
* The Supreme Commander of NATO forces in Europe, General Wesley
Clark, discussed the situation in Kosovo and NATO enlargement during his
two-day visit in the Czech Republic March 21-22. Clark praised the
efforts of Czech troops stationed in Kosovo. However, Clark called for
the transformation of the Czech armed forces involving better English,
stable financing and modern technology. Czech Defense Minister Vladimir
Vetchy decorated General Clark with the First Class Cross of Honor.
* President Vaclav Havel was released March 20 from hospital, where
he was hospitalized with chronic bronchitis a week ago. Doctors
recommended him to stay away from work for one more week. Nevertheless,
Havel is supposed to appoint new Minister without Portfolio Karel
Brezina, 27, who will replace Jaroslav Basta, the former head of the
Clean Hands Coordination and Analytic Group.
* Ladislav Lis, 74, former dissident, Charter 77 spokesman and
current member of the government Council for Human Rights, died
unexpectedly March 19. Lis, a lifelong left-wing radical, was an active
member of the resistance during the Nazi occupation of 1939-1945, he
joined the Communist Party in 1943 and was twice - in 1961 and 1969
- expelled from the party. As an opponent of the post-1968 regime Lis
was arrested and imprisoned several times in the 70's and 80's. After
1989 he was elected as a Civic Forum deputy to the Federal Assembly.
Later he engaged himself in human-rights issues and protested recently
against the construction of a wall around Romany housing in Maticni
Street (see Carolina 351-353).
Martin Rusek, David Mirejovsky, Jaroslav Sauer/Milan Smid
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
* The Foreign Ministers of Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic
Bronislaw Geremek, Janos Martonyi and Jan Kavan declared their support
for Slovak membership in NATO at their meeting in Budapest March 18. The
three foreign ministers suggested the NATO membership of their countries
contributed to the cohesion of the Alliance during the NATO action in
Kosovo.
Martin Rusek/Milan Smid
* Seven members of the Czech KFOR mission spent a few hours in
Serbian captivity. Soldiers from the 4th Reconnaissance Company drove in
an armoured troop-carrier past the Kosovo-Serbian administrative
frontier and were checking the terrain, but got lost in a blizzard and
inadvertently left Kosovo. The Serbs captured them shortly after in the
village of Merdare. Such incidents have occurred in the past and were
also resolved quickly.
Martin Rusek/Simon Dominik
* The Dutch company CME Czech Republic B.V., owned by Ronald Lauder,
launched February 22 another arbitration proceeding against the Czech
Republic under the Bilateral Investment Treaty between the Netherlands
and the Czech Republic. That is the third legal action in the TV NOVA
dispute (see Carolina 351-352). The first suit was initiated by the CME
B.V. against Vladimir Zelezny, the TV NOVA general director, the second
legal dispute was begun by Lauder as an American citizen against the
Czech state for not protecting his investments in the Czech Republic.
The TV NOVA quarel may have an impact on the broadcasting of the World
Hockey Championships. Broadcasting rights for the event are still owned
by the Lauder-controlled company CNTS, which does not want to sell it to
Zelezny and his company CET-21, the license holder for TV NOVA.
Dita Kristanova/Milan Smid
FROM SLOVAKIA
HZDS Changes from Movement to Party, Meciar Still Boss
Transformation from a movement to a "people's" party, the election
of all new vice chairmen and the confirmation of Vladimir Meciar as the
leader of the party were the results of the March 18 congress of the
Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) held March 18. The new formal
character of the party meant changes in the program and articles of
association. Meciar was re-elected unanimously (he abstained, there
being no other candidate).
More than 300 delegates to the congress in Trnava approved
a political declaration stating support for joining NATO and the EU.
Meciar said there was no other option to NATO today and rejected
potential government coalitions with parties against Slovak NATO
membership. In a speech for foreign delegates Meciar admitted and
apologized for mistakes in privatization.
Incumbent Vice Chairmen Gustav Krajci, Sergej Kozlik, Rudolf Ziak
and Vojtech Tkac were replaced by Meciar's candidates. Vice Chairwoman
for Foreign Affairs is Zdena Kramplova, former Foreign Minister in one
Meciar government. Social questions will be in the competence of Jozef
Kalman, a former union leader. Miroslav Maxon, former finance minister,
is responsible for economic issues and Vice Chairman Jan Gabriel will
concentrate on regional and community development. Jozef Bozik will be
concerned with media; so few members of the party knew Bozik that he was
elected on the second ballot.
One party from the governing coalition was present at the congress
- the Party of the Democratic Left (SDL').
Andrea Slovakova/Veronika Hankusova
Visa Requirement for Ukraine, Russia, Belorussia and Cuba
The Slovak National Council adopted March 22 a law requiring visas
for Ukrainian citizens from June 28. That also means Slovak visa policy
will be harmonized with the Czech Republic. Visa-free traffic with
Russia and Belorussia will come to an end January 1, 2001. According to
the law, visa requirements for Cuban citizens will be introduced six
months before Slovakia joins the European Union. Premier Mikulas
Dzurinda said introducing visas "should be a barrier against organized
crime, illegal work, crime and another undesirable phneomena."
Andrea Slovakova/Milan Smid
ECONOMY
Record Profit for Skoda Carmaker
The net profit of the Volkswagen-controlled Skoda company reached
a record of 2.64 billion crowns last year despite a decrease in car
production caused by the introduction of the new Fabia model to the
assembly line, said Skoda CEO Vratislav Kulhanek at a press conference
March 16.
The record profit was created mainly in foreign markets. Skoda in
1999 exported automobiles worth nearly 90 billion crowns. This sum
represents 9.6 per cent of the country's overall export. The daily
Hospodarske noviny published the data according to which the Mlada
Boleslav carmaker sold 385,330 cars in 1999, of those 192,156 in Western
Europe.
Jakub Tronicek/Milan Smid
ECONOMY IN BRIEF
* The crisis in the Securities Commission (Komise pro cenne papiry,
KCP) came to a head this week when Commissioner Jana Pospisilova
resigned and President Vaclav Havel said he would recall Chairman Jan
Muller. Pospisilova and Muller formed one camp in the commission at war
with the the three other commissioners - Tomas Jezek, Frantisek Jakub
and Irena Pelikanova. The government proposed the recall of Muller and
Jezek, but after Pospisilova resigned, Havel could not recall both
Muller and Jezek because the commission would not have a quorum. Muller
had expressed the wish to leave, saying "I will never return to
regulation of the capital market," while Jezek said he wanted to stay.
The war between the factions - Jezek and his cohorts filed a criminal
complaint against Muller - has paralyzed the actions of the commission.
Muller called a press conference, at which Pospislova's resignation
letter was made public. Pospisilova has left the country, and in the
letter she says she has lost faith in democracy in the Czech Republic.
* The crisis in the Commerce Bank (Komercni banka, KB) continued to
escalate this week with the completion of a forensic audit by Deloitte
and Touche of the bank's engagement with the Austrian company B.C.L.
Trading, which apparently absconded with some 8 billion crowns from the
bank. The report details how limits for B.C.L., belonging to Barak Alon,
were repeatedly exceeded by bank employees, who withheld damning
information about B.C.L. from the bank's board of directors. Once the
board found out negative information about B.C.L., they continued to
raise the limit for the bank's engagement. Other press reports said
a new gerneral director has been found after a lengthy search, but no
name has yet been released. The bank's management was fired in the wake
of the scandal.
Jakub Tronicek/Zuzana Janeckova
Rates at the Czech National Bank (valid March 24)
--------------------------------------------------------------
1 EUR = 35.550
country currency CZK
------------------------------------------
Australia 1 AUD 22.297
Great Britain 1 GBP 58.228
Denmark 1 DKK 4.774
Japan 100 JPY 34.360
Canada 1 CAD 25.135
IMF 1 XDR 49.428
Hungary 100 HUF 13.823
Norway 1 NOK 4.372
New Zealand 1 NZD 17.959
Poland 1 PLN 9.086
Greece 100 GRD 10.643
Slovakia 100 SKK 85.474
Slovenia 100 SIT 17.522
Sweden 1 SEK 4.246
Switzerland 1 CHF 22.106
USA 1 USD 36.925
Exchange Rates of countries participating in the euro
(converted from the euro rate)
country currency CZK
-----------------------------------------
Germany 1 DEM 18.176
Belgium 100 BEF 88.126
Finland 1 FIM 5.979
France 1 FRF 5.420
Ireland 1 IEP 45.139
Italy 1000 ITL 18.360
Luxemburg 100 LUF 88.126
Netherlands 1 NLG 16.132
Portugal 100 PTE 17.732
Austria 1 ATS 2.584
Spain 100 ESP 21.366
CULTURE
Give a Hand to the Children of Sierra Leone
Jan Sibik, photographer from the weekly magazine Reflex, from March
10-24 on Prague's Wenceslas Square is displaying 12 photographs from his
journey to Sierra Leone.
The pictures show children and adults at a camp for those wounded
during the civil war in the country. Most of them, the children no
exception, are missing feet, fingers, ears or even both hands. The
profits from the exhibit - organized partially by UNICEF - will be sent
to two camps in Sierra Leone. In one of them, children-killers are
recovering from their experiences in the war. There is a documentary
being shown about them at the exhibit.
Donations can be made at the exhibit (by March 18 about 164,000
crowns were collected) or on the account 2200022-5100, variable symbol
2994 (by March 18 about 48,000 crowns were received). The photographs
are also on the page www.sibik.cz.
Gabriela Bobkova/Daniela Vrbova
Exhibit on Terezin Theater
Arnost Lustig, a Czech author who spent three years in
a concentration camp during World War II, opened a permanent exhibit
March 15 on the theater in the Magdeburg Barracks of the Terezin
(Theresienstadt) concentration camp and ghetto. The theater, although
initiated by the Nazis (to show the humane living conditions to the Red
Cross), was a great source of encouragement for the prisoners. "We were
living in filth and humiliation, but thanks to the theater we knew we
had something from the world outside. It reminded the people of their
trampled dignity," Lustig said in the daily Lidove noviny March 16.
Marek Uhlir/Daniela Vrbova
Grease Is Coming to Conquer Prague
This is the advertising slogan for the Prague performance of the
musical Grease by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. The Czech version had its
premiere in December, and is performed every day except Monday in
Prague's Pyramida Theater. Stage desinger Michael Klang put sponsor's
names on the scene such that they match the colourful design of the
costumes and sets.
Grease is not the only musical attracting full houses in Prague.
Hamlet - a project by Czech pop singer Janek Ledecky - is also running,
along with Evita and My Fair Lady. More musicals threaten on the horizon
- Joan of Arc should have its premiere March 31, and the Count of Monte
Cristo and Phantom of the Opera are in rehearsal.
Petra Kovacova/Daniela Vrbova
SPORTS
Sparta Praha Done in Champions League after Unlucky Loss to Barcelona
After last week's game in Porto, Sparta had to defeat the elite FC
Barcelona and hope for a Hertha Berlin win over Porto to advance among
the eight best European teams in the UEFA Champions League. Sparta kept
its chance to advance alive in Porto thanks to Milan Fukal's
90th-minute goal March 15. Porto led 2-0 in the 64th minute and all hope
seemed lost. First, Esquerdinha's free kick deflected off Sparta's
defensive wall to Jorge Costa, who scored, and after the break Nuno
Capucho extended the lead. Sparta did not lose its head and in the last
minutes won a point: Vratislav Lokvenc scored on an individual break in
the 74th minute and the final score was determined by the phantom of the
final minute - Fukal: he has scored twice in the last two Champions
League games, both in the 90th minute.
Against Barcelona, Sparta started offensively, while the Catalan
team defended. In the 18th minute Zdenek Svoboda scored off a deflected
ball. Sparta then kept the lead and as Berlin was tied at halftime with
Porto 0-0, hope remained alive. In the second half, Sparta's play became
more cautious and Gabri in the 52nd minute took advantage of a defensive
mistake. Barcelona started to play good soccer, full of combinations,
but no team saw a scoring chance until the 88th minute, when Lokvenc was
fouled by goalkeeper Ruud Hesp. Hesp, however, saved the weak penalty
shot from Pavel Hapal. On the counterattack, Gabri scored again to give
Barcelona a 2-1 victory. Sparta had a few last chances (Gabri deflected
Novotny's header in front of the goal), but could not convert.
Alzbeta Trousilova and Mirek Langer/Mirek Langer
Soccer League: Vratislav Lokvenc Scores Four Times in Budejovice
Sparta was losing in Ceske Budejovice 0-1 after Karel Vacha's goal.
However, in the second half, a different Sparta team stepped on the
pitch: the offense. Vratislav Lokvenc started his scoring show in the
52nd minute on Libor Sionko's centering pass. Lokvenc then added two
more goals and coach Ivan Hasek wanted to take him out. But Lokvenc
added yet a fourth goal and when leaving the field was applauded by the
Budejovice crowd.
Slavia did not play well against Pribram. Dukla led after Radek
Cizek converted a questionable penalty in the 19th minute. Slavia tried
to get the injustice right, Ulich leveled soon and then the home team
controlled the game. Tomas Kuchar and Pavel Horvath from the penalty
shot determined the 3-1 final score.
After a 2-2 tie in Opava, Ostrava coach Werner Licka resigned.
Rostislav Vojacek will replace him until the end of the season.
Results of the 21st round: Brno - Teplice 2-1, Liberec - Drnovice
0-0, Blsany - Olomouc 1-0, Ostrava - Opava 2-2, Hradec Kralove - Zizkov
0-0, Bohemians Praha - Jablonec 2-0, Ceske Budejovice - Sparta Praha
1-4, Slavia Praha - Pribram 3-1.
Standings: 1. Slavia Praha 55, 2. Sparta Praha 51, 3. Drnovice 37,
4. Bohemians Praha 31, 5. Blsany 30, 6. Teplice 27, 7. Ceske Budejovice
27, 8. Brno 26, 9. Ostrava 25, 10. Liberec 24, 11. Pribram 24, 12.
Olomouc 23, 13. Opava 22, 14. Zizkov 21, 15. Hradec Kralove 17, 16.
Jablonec 17.
Dita Kristanova/Mirek Langer
Hockey Extraleague: Playoffs Start, Sparta, Vsetin and Litvinov Advance
The eight best teams of the regular season started the hockey
extraleague playoffs, played in best-of-five series. Sparta Praha and
Vsetin advanced to the semifinals in three games, Litvinov in four.
Sparta and Vsetin both began at home. Sparta's form improved each
game. Vsetin advanced from its series against Ceske Budejovice, breaking
their opponent's streak of 26 home games without a loss. Litvinov's
performances were a big surprise: under Robert Reichel's leadership the
team won twice in Zlin and after a small complication at home, it
decided the series with a 3-1 win in the fourth game. In an even series
between Pilsen (Plzen) and Trinec, Pilsen is up 2-1 in games after
crushing its opponent 9-0 (seven goals in the second period).
In the semifinals, Sparta will meet Litvinov and Vsetin will play
the winner of the Pilsen - Trinec tie.
Results of the playoff quarterfinals: Sparta - Pardubice 3-0
(individual games results: 3-1, 2-1, 5-1); Vsetin - Ceske Budejovice
3-0 (3-0, 6-3 ,3-0); Zlin - Litvinov 1-3 (1-2, 2-4, 3-2, 1-3); Trinec
- Plzen 1-2 (3-1, 1-3, 0-9).
Jaroslav Sauer/Mirek Langer
SPORTS IN BRIEF
* Slavia Praha lost in its first UEFA Cup quarterfinal match in Leeds
0-3 March 16. Slavia players seemed frightened by the sold-out stadium
and did not play their usual game.
* Ladislav Rygl finished third overall in the nordic combined World
Cup. In the final race he finished 12th.
* Hana Cerna's fourth place in the 400 individual medley and Daniel
Malek's two fifth places in breaststroke final heats were the best Czech
finishes in the short-course swimming World Championships in Athens,
Greece.
* Milan Dolak in a Toyota won the first event of the Czech Republic
Rally Championships, the Sumava Rally, March 17-18.
Dita Kristanova and Mirek Langer/Mirek Langer
WEATHER
On March 20 at 8:35 a.m. we came under the reign of spring, at
least from the point of view of astronomy. On the one hand, the sun is
more daring, Prague's hills are gaining some color in their traditional
gray. On the other hand, ski lifts in the moutains are still working
(snow reports: Lysa 221 cm, Destna 60 cm, Pec pod Snezkou 110 cm,
Klinovec 160 cm, Kvilda 100 cm). Residents of valleys are scared by the
idea that some warm southern monsoon might turn their community into
a lake once again. Daytime temperatures above 10 degrees Celsius/41
degrees Fahrenheit are no longer the exception, evidence that spring is
coming.
Jan Skala/Milan Smid
English version edited by Michael Bluhm.
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