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 C.S.F.R. e-mail (Bitnet) address: FSVUKA@CSEARN *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* C A R O L I N A No 6, Friday, December 6, 1991. The E-mail News from Czechoslovakia This news may be published only with the "CAROLINA" designation. *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* THE EVENTS OF THE LAST WEEK /from 27.11.-4.12./ --------------------------- The proposals of V. Havel in the Parliament President V. Havel, as the originator of the amendement to the federation law/ which deals with a new system of passing the federal Constitution/ and the amendement to the referendum law, explained both proposals at the beginning of the 19th parliament session on Tuesday, December 3. The committees of the Federal Assembly were already engaged in the discussion of both proposals last week. The most discused problem dealt with the situation when one of the national councils/national parliaments/ refuses a ratification of a new federal Constitution. Most of the parliament's members shared the view of the contemporary constitution's operation. The parliament was faced with a demand of the parliament's right to veto the president's decision to call a referendum. The president's proposals were supported by the federal government during the last days as well. The issue is presently being debated in the parliament. The President promised his participation in the decision on both proposals. Again about the budget "The federation will pay the costs, the Federation will give us more, The Federation has opened its pockets"- these are titles of some of the articles' chosen from Thursday's /5.12./ Czech newspapers. The articles describe an apparent denouement of the situation on Friday 29.11. after the Czech government demanded a change in the budget's rates to benefit the Czech republic. The federal government responded to the Czech demand to raise the Czech budget by about 5.4 milliard crowns. All of these one-sided steps are politically dangerous and bring destabilization with them. Similar responses came from Vaclav Klaus/Civil Democratic Party/, Jiri Dienstbier/Civil Movement/, Vladimir Dlouhy/ Civil Democratic Alliance/ who are leaders of the main coalition parties.The Czech government was supported by the Czech parliament/Czech National Coucil/. At Wednesday's /4.12./ meeting of president V. Havel, Vaclav Klaus/vice-chairman of Federal government and the federal minister of finances/, P. Pithart and J. Carnogursky/ premiers of the national governemtns/ and both national ministers of finances a solution was found. The federal budget will provide 5 milliard Kcs, that will be divided between the Czech republic/ 3.3. milliard Kcs/ and Slovak republic/ 1.7. milliard crons/. The taxes from the payments of Slovaks working in the Cyech republic will be reduced about 1.5 milliard crowns. The Czech republic will, in the end, get 4.8 million more crowns compared to the amount determined at the conclusion of the meeting in Bratislava. This is still 600 000 million less from the last Czech demand. The Slovak budget received 200 000 million more than their demand. Both the national governemtns have accepted this solution/Czech government agreed to it, while the Slovak government accepted the information above without reservations/. The Federal government will proceed with the negotiations over the budget again on Sunday /it seems without the participation of premier M. Calfa bacause he is on an official visit in China during this time/. The present rates of common incomes' division was maintained: Federation 35, Czech republic-41.5, Slovak republic 23.5. The jubilee of A. Dubcek The chairman of the Federal Assembly CSFR/parliament/ Alexander Dubcek turned seventy on Wednessday, November 27. His name was "tabu" in past years. He was the general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party in 1968 and became one of the symbols of the reform process during the time of "Prague's Spring". He returned back to the political stage after more then 20 years again with his uniquely great and enigmatic personality. Whereas he is praised from abroad, there are voices doubting his position as the head of the parliament in Czechoslovakia. Rude pravo/ the previous daily newspaper of Communist party/ said at this occasion that fortunately for Czechoslovakia A. Dubcek wasn't replaced as of yet from the political stage. I'm unambigously for the federation We quoted Tomas Jezek,Czech minister of Control of national property and its privatizatiron, who took part in the discussion at the faculty of social sciences Charles University on Tuesday/December, 3rd/. He lamented the interpretaion of his interview for the French magazin "Liberation" where he allegedly stood for the immediate break up of Czechoslovakia. He also said that about 15.000 places of business in the value of 15 milliard crowns had been privitized. He considers that the main goals of privitization are the property's transfer to the people, support and restoration to the most recent owners, attraction of foreign capital investment to the Czechoslovak market and the return of property that was illegally seized after February 1948. He admited the negative consequences of his dispute with the federal minister of finance V. Klaus concerning the postponement of the beginning of the privatization process. The disputy was widely discussed in the mass media and caused many people to doubt voucher-privatization. T. Jezek also represented the second strongest Czech right-wing party,the Civil Democratic Alliance/ODA/, that should be a healthy opponent of Klaus's Civil Democratic Party/ODS/. Blind students to attend the universities A seminar about "The system of education for the seeing-impaired" took place in Prague from 27.-30.11. with the support of the EC project TEMPUS. The specialists from Germany, USA, Great Britain, Italy and Belgium met to develop a system supporting the university studies of seeing impaired people. There are about 200 blind graduate university students in Czechoslovakia. The TEMPUS project will enable the sight handicapped students to better take part in studies and in normal life afterward. The project will come to realization at the faculty of nuclear physics and the faculty of physical engineering at the Czech Technical University that will start next school year with a program of bachelor's study for blind and seeing impaired students. THE CULTURAL SERVICE Sir Peter Ustinov in Prague British actor, director, playwright and writer of Russian origin sir Peter Ustinov/born 1921/ visited Prague from 26.-30. of November after being invited by the Czechoslovak foundation, Civic Forum. Ustinov, twice awarded an Oscar, perfomed recitals in Smetanovo and Narodni theatres. The income of his perfomances was devoted to charity organizations" "The Good Will Commitee" that is run by president's wife, Mrs. Olga Havel. P. Ustinov said at the press conference that the people standing against european federalism don't realize that the evolution is going ahead, that it is nonsense to seek the disputes and the things that make the differences between us. "It looks for me as a casino where I can't win at all". Sir Ustinov is the fourth personality honoured with a silver commemorative medal of CHarles University that was given to him by pro-rector of Charles Univeristy Zdenek Lojda on 27 th of November. Don Giovanni in Prague again Don Giovanni by Mozart came back after an 8-year break to the stage of the reconstructed Stavovske theatre. At the same theatre was the world's first run of Don Giovanni 204 years ago. The opera is conducted by world famous English conductor sir Charles Mackerras. He will conduct the first few perfomances and will then be followed by his assistant Tomas Hala. The guest's singers from Ukraina- A. Bescastnyj as a title role and N. Petrenko as Dona Anna- attract the attention of the audience. The Gala Opening on the 1 st of December was devoted to government representatives, diplomats nad sponzors. *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* To subscribe Carolina send the e-mail message with subject text "Subscription" on our e-mail address. The subscription is free. Comments and remarks are appreciated.