CCCCC AA RRRRR OOOO LL II NN N AA CC AA A RR R OO O LL II NNN N AA A CC AA A RRRRR OO O LL II NN N N AA A CC AAAAAA RR R OO O LL II NN NN AAAAAA CCCCC AA A RR R OOOO LLLLLL II NN N AA A STUDENT'S E-MAIL NEWS FROM CZECHOSLOVAKIA Faculty of Social Science of Charles University Smetanovo nabr. 6 110 01 Prague 1 Czechoslovakia (Europe) e-mail (Bitnet) address: FSVUKA@CSEARN *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* C A R O L I N A No 4, Friday, November 25, 1991. The E-mail News from Czechoslovakia This news may be published only with the "CAROLINA" designation. *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* LAST WEEK's EVENTS The president asks the people for help This title is used by Czech daily newspaper "Mlada fronta Dnes" in the articel about televized speech of president Havel on Sunday, 17 th of November. Vaclav Havel said he would present five proposals of his own to the Federal Assembly /the name of Czechoslovak parliament/: 1.Amendment of the constitutional referendum law that allows the President to declare referendum on own authority with the agreement of the federal government/ this clause was excluded from previous negotiations about referendum/. The President may call a referendum only on the condition of 20% of Czech or Slovak agreement of voters. 2. Amendment of Czechoslovak law on federation to include federal constitution after ratification of national parliaments. 3. Constitution law that sets the conditions of dissolution of the Czechoslovak parliament and declaration of new elections. President should have the right to submit acts until the new election/these acts will be passed by a new Parliament afterwards/. 4. Constitutional law on a new structure of the federal body of representatives that is based on the president's previous working proposal of the constitution. President proposes a one-chamber federal parliament /contemporary Parliament consists of the chambers: House of People and House of Nations/ and an independent federal council consisting of representatives of the national parliaments. 5.The new election law ensuring that only representatives that have the confidence of the all people will be elected in the new body of representatives. Vaclav Havel has already shown his dissatisfaction with the Czechoslovak contemporary election system several times. The televized speech of prezident Havel met with a large response from the Czechoslovak people. President has got the support of university students, trade unions, nonpolitical organizations and some political parties /with reservations/. Most Slovak political parties disagreed with the president. Charles University and Czech Technical University have organized a meeting to support president Havel on November 19,1991. 10 000 university students took part in this meeting. The Rector of Charles University said that our country should gain confidence from abroad too. Our political uncertainty and tense situation has caused foreign confidence in Czechoslovakia to begin to disappear. P. Stockel, deputy of student academic senate, said that political representatives now are isolated agai .They are going to "represent only themselves ". High school students organized the demonstration to support president Havel on November 19 as well on Wenceslaus square. Union of Student Estates has announced the emergency of a strike. An offense to all Christians? Prague's archbishop M. Vlk the students of the faculty of law at Charles University on November,11. The discussion was about the role of the state and the church. M. Vlk paid attention to the situation in the old regime - the church was at this time total subordinate to state officials. Archbishop said there is a need for the complete separation of the church from the state in the future but the church isn't able now to attain an economic independence. Most questions were devoted to the case of Martin Kasandra's "Azda Posledna vecera"/Maybe the Last Supper/ that was published in Slovak cultural magazin "Kulturni zivot". A Czech newspaper, "Lidove noviny" indicated this story as unorthodox experiment based on the bible story. The story made Slovak Christian politicians upset. The Slovak parliament decided to sue Kasandra according to law on slander against race,nationality and conviction. "Lidove noviny" named Martin Kasandra "the Slovak Rushdie". He was examined together with Ivo Stripko who is the chief-editor of "Kulturni zivot". The Council of Writer's Group protested in an open letter to president Havel. President Havel clearly answered that literature cannot be put on a trial. Contrary to the prezident's statement Prague's archbischop agreed with the Slovak parliament and considers the story as an rude offence to all believers. He thinks that certain limits exist in literature and they cannot be overstepped with impunity. Ministr Dobrovsky about the army Lubos Dobrovsky, minister of defence, took part in a discussion with the students of the faculty of social sciences at Charles University on 18 th of December. The minister confirmed a shorter term of basic military service to twelve months starting from October 1993. The Czechoslovak army wants to attain certain professionalization, especially in the professions of army vehicles' drivers and radio-stations' servicers. The slowing down of this process is caused by the small interest of people in army's careers and the lack of finances that should come from the state budget, according to Dobrovsky. Financial sources, will not be enough to cover the needs of the army in next year either, said minister. "General Consultation" by Komensky first time in Czech The life-long work "General Consultation on the Reform of Human Affairs" by world reknowned Czech academic and philospoher Jan Amos Komensky/1592-1670/ will be issued in Prague to commemorate 400 th anniversary of his birth. His philosophical-theological tract about a just division of the world is devoted to the representatives of policy, church and culture in his time. Original writings, damaged by the fire in 1656, were found only in 1935. The new foundation of Charles University for issuing and spreading works of Komensky is attempting to raise funds to issue "General Consultation" amounting about 2.5 million crowns. The foundation has received most of this money from Czechoslovak concerns. The foundation intends to publish a memorial volume "Homage to J.A.Komensky"/Pocta J.A.Komenskemu/ in Czech nad English as well as other works of his. Only one fourth of the total amount of his works have been issued to date. The foundation of Charles University meets financial problems in editing these books. CULTURAL SERVICE Labyrinth -theatre, studio, club Realistic theatre in Smichov has got a new name and a new face. It will be open in the beginning of January 1992 after major reconstruction. The theatre has had six names since its establishment in 1881. Originally "Theatre at Libuse"/Divadlo u Libuse/ wa built by well-known theatre manager Pavel Svanda. Both folk and art perfomances were on the programme as well as drama, opera and musical comedy. The audience comma represented by all the social classes was growing. The company was founded with the good reputation and theatre in Smichov became one of the most important theatres in Prague. After the death of Mr. Svanda his wife Eliska Peskova followed by her daughter Marie Koldinska took over the manager work. Son of Mr. Svanda- Karel Svanda became the artistic director. The stage was reconstructed with the modern design in 1900. The theatre was named "Svanda's theatre" /Svandovo divadlo/. Famous arena in Smichov /summer stage / became the part of the theatre. Arena was finished and the whole year's perfomances have been started there. After next reconstruction in 1908 the theatre was renamed to "Intimate theatre" /Intimn¡ divadlo/. The theatre was dissolved in 1928. The famous comedian and actor Vlasta Burian has rented the empty stage form 1928-1930. "Intimate theatre" started playing again in two years but it was finally dissolved in 1935.All the theatres were closed by protectorate's government by 1944. The renters of the theatre have changed often. Svanda's family wanted to start running the privat theatre after the second world war again but they werent permitted. The theatre became the property of the state. The theatre started playing again under the name "Realist theatre of Zdenek Nejedly" /Realisticke divadlo Zdenka Nejedleho/ in 1946. It was obvious from repertory that the state owned the theatre. The amount of a reflection of the state policy depended on a courage of the directors. The theatre became the part of the history in 1989. On November 18, just one day after the demonstration of the students on National street, the meeting of actors and students took place there. One week's protest strike was negotiated at the meeting. The plays of previously vorbiden play-writers /Georg Tabori-farce Mein Kampf, Vaclav Havel-Asanation, Slawomir Mrozek-Ambassador and etc./ were introduced within a new theatre season. The theatre became one of the top theatres in Prague. Another large reconstruction was started in June 1991 to built a new interior and a chamber stage. A new theatre, studio and club "Labyrinth" will start playing in January 1992.Perfomance "Twelth night" had its first run in Prague's Vinohrady theatre on the 15 the of November, 1991. This perfomance , translated by Antonin Pridal,is pleasant , comic entertainment. This play was presented by eminent actors and actresses. Jaroslav Dudek is an experienced director of Shakespear's plays, so he was the best person to direct. Nice songs are played as well. *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* To subscribe Carolina send the e-mail message with subject text "Subscription" on our e-mail (Bitnet) address FSVUKA@CSEARN. The subscription is free. Comments and remarks are appreciated.