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 School of Social Sciences of Charles University Smetanovo nabr. 6 110 01 Prague 1 C.S.F.R. e-mail address: CAROLINA@CSEARN.BITNET *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* C A R O L I N A No 51, Friday, November 27, 1992. FROM LAST WEEK'S EVENTS (November 18-25) The Bill about the Termination of Czechoslovakia Passed By the end of December 31, 1992, the Czechoslovak Federation will cease to exist. The successor states are the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic. The Republic Parliament seats will be occupied both by the deputies elected into the Federal Assembly and into the National Councils. The Czech National Council, as well as the National Council of the Slovak Republic can pass laws even before January 1, 1993, as long as these they come under the jurisdiction of the Federation. They can be, however, enforced only after the New Year. The law forbids the Czech and the Slovak Republic to use the symbol CSFR. This is a brief summary of the Constitutional Law on the Termination of the Federation, which was passed on Wednesday, November 25, at the third round of negotiations. In the House of the People of the Federal Assembly (FA), the bill was supported by 93 out of 144 deputies present (90 votes were needed), 16 were against, 28 abstained and 8 ignored the call. In the Slovak part of the House of the Nations, 72 deputies were present, of which number 46 voted in favor, 7 against, 16 abstained and 3 did not vote. The Czech part of the House of the Nations (with 72 present), the votes went as follows: 45 in favor, 7 against, 11 abstained and 9 did not express themselves. In both parts of the House, 45 votes in favor were needed for the bill to pass. From the opposition, 5 deputies from the Liberal Social Union decided to vote in favor, along with 4 former Republicans (who were expelled as a result of Dr. Miroslav Sladek's efforts), 2 Slovak and 3 Czech Social Democrats, and 2 representatives of the Slovak Party of the Democratic Left. The vote was originally scheduled for Tuesday, but an airplane carrying Slovak deputies could not take off from Bratislava on account of bad weather. The Czech National Council Assumes Responsibility The declaration about the takeover of full responsibility for the continuity of the powers of the state on the territory of the Czech Republic, along with the Czech government, was approved by the Czech National Council on Thursday, November 19. "It is the confirmation of the independence which has already come into existence, rather than its declaration and constitutionalization," stated the Deputy Premier of the Czech government Jan Kalvoda, according to the Friday issue of Mlada Fronta Dnes (The Young Front Today). The Czech National Council Approved Inter-Republican Treaties Ten treaties between the Czech and Slovak Republics and five treaties between the national governments were approved within two hours by the Czech National Council (CNC) on Tuesday. All these texts had already been accepted at the joint session of the governments at the Javorina resort in the High Tatras at the end of October. The CNC approved the treaty on the currency arrangement between the Republics, with the objective to realize the separation of the currencies resulting in each state having its own currency. By the treaty on cooperation in the protection and management of the environment, the ecological regulations in both states will be coordinated. The Council also approved the treaty on social security, on cross-border employment, on legal assistance and criminal matters, a treaty on the common use of specified archival and informational resources arising from the activities of the Ministry of the Interior, a treaty on cooperation in telecommunication and encryption services, a treaty on the cooperation in education, a treaty on the reciprocal recognition of the equivalence of documents about education and academic ranks and titles, and a treaty on health care. The deputies of the CNC also discussed a treaty on the abolition of visa requirements between CR and SR, a treaty on joint procedures concerning the residence of aliens from third countries, and a bill on value-added tax (GST for Canadians). A treaty on personal documents did not find its way into the agenda of the CNC because of a controversial section concerning the validity of weapons permits on the territory of the other republic. According to the opinion of the CNC Deputy Speaker J. Vlach (Civic Democratic Party), it is just a technicality. All these treaties and agreements between the republics were approved both by simple majority even by the deputies of the National Council of the Slovak Republic. Problems about the Federal Property On Monday, the Slovak Premier Vladimir Meciar and the Deputy Premier of the Czech government Ivan Kocarnik signed in Bratislava a series of agreements and treaties between the governments of CR and SR. They did not reach an agreement about the draft of the common procedures to realize the law on the division of the property of CSFR, and on versions of certain other treaties. The Czech side insists on the division according to the territorial principle, the Slovak side on a ratio 2:1. In this ratio, Slovakia would receive the value of the Federal institutions located on the Czech territory. In principle, the division of the property is regulated by the Constitutional Law of the Federal Assembly on the division of property. For health reasons, the Czech Premier Vaclav Klaus did not take part in these negotiations. (During a tennis match in Praha- Pruhonice he pulled a calf muscle in a painful way.) Test for Gabcikovo The work on the Gabcikovo Waterworks, with the exception of works needed to maintain and preservation of the existing installations, were stopped on November 11, as the Government of the CSFR had promised during the weekend negotiations in Brussels. As a consequence of this stoppage and the present high level of water in the Danube, damages were suffered in the estimated amount of 100 million crowns, said Julius Binder, the Director of the Water Management Development in Bratislava. For example, the rate of flow (6500 cubic meters per second) approached the first degree flood emergency level (7000 cu. m.). According to J. Binder, the waterworks will manage this situation (which is unusual for the last 150 years). The next round of the negotiations between CSFR, Hungary and EC will take place on Friday, November 27. Controversy around the state flag On Wednesday, November 18, the National Council of the SR voted in favor of the amendment to the draft of the constitutional law on the termination of CSFR, in which it is stated that the Czech Republic cannot use the present flag of the Federation. Information that the Czech side is considering this, were published during the past week by some information media. According to Frantisek Miklosko (Christian-Democratic Movement), a former chairman of the Slovak National Council, the use of the state symbols of CSFR by the Czech Republic would cause tremendous frictions, and would lead to incessant controversy between CR and SR. The Deputy Premier of the Federal government, Antonin Baudys (Christian-Democratic Union - The People's Party) stated that the Slovak amendment van be accepted since after the demise of the Federation it would not be legally binding for the Czech Republic. Issuing New Passports It is assumed that within one year's time, the passports of CSFR issued up to now will be marked with the name of the state and the state emblem of the republic where the passport holder is registered as a citizen. The validity of thus marked passports will be limited in time, so far the suggested deadline is December 31, 1997. Issuing of brand new passports is scheduled for the third quarter of 1993. This was announced on Tuesday by the Bureau of Alien Police and the Passport Services of the Federal Police Force. Czech Press Bureau Came Into Existence The Czech Press Bureau (CTK) was established by a law already on November 15. It began its real existence only on November 20 when the Director General of the Czechoslovak Press Bureau (CSTK), T. Kopriva, and the Czech Minister of Cultural Affairs J. Kabat signed a protocol about the transfer of the property of CSTK on the territory of the Czech Republic into the possession of CTK. The foreign property of the federal agency will be divided in the 2:1 ratio. CSTK de facto ceased to exist by the loss of property. The interim director of CTK will be elected by the CNC by December 15. Candidates for this post are the present director CSTK T. Kopriva, some opposition deputies intend to nominate his predecessor P. Uhl. New Blood into the Civic Movement On November 11, the delegates of the Third Congress of the Realistic Alliance of the Youth (REAL) convened in the Prague Radio Palace. It is a liberally oriented association representing several thousands of young people, mostly students, who are interested in the political and economical affairs. Daniel Soural, a second year student of the Faculty of Law, was re-elected as a chairman of the Alliance for the next term. One of the deputy chairmen is Jiri Dienstbier Jr. During this convention, new bylaws were adopted and a will was expressed to cooperate with the Civic Movement. Among the speakers were the chairman of the Civic Movement Jiri Dienstbier, and the former Premier Petr Pithart. On Lustrations (screening law) The legal and moral problems with lustrations (review of past activities) in the Central and East European countries were discussed on Saturday at the Faculty of Social Sciences of Charles University by the participants of a seminar organized by the Czechoslovak Helsinki Committee together with the Commission for Human Rights at the Helsinki Civic Assembly. In the introduction, Vaclav Trojan characterized Bill No. 451/1991 on lustrations: "It affects people who should not be affected, while avoiding those who probably should be included." Contributions were presented by the chairperson of the Czechoslovak Helsinki Committee Libuse Silhanova, Martin Palous, Petr Uhl, Jan Kavan, a Polish journalist Konstantin Gebert and a Hungarian philosopher Janos Kis. Mrs. Zdena Salivarova-Skvorecky pointed out that besides ideological and financial aspects, it was the question of the preservation of one's own existence that led some citizens into collaboration with the former State Security (StB). This fact was supported by a quote from a secret decree of the Ministry of Justice of the former CSSR Jan Obzina from January 25, 1978. It speaks about the possibility to recruit a collaborator of the StB without a written consent. SPORTS Litvinov Still At The Top The leading team of the Hockey League, Litvinov did not wink even in the 20th round as it defeated Vitkovice (presently at 3. spot) closely 3:2. In contrast, its nemesis, Ceske Budejovice team, lost on home ice with steadily improving Kladno 1:2. The decisive goal was shot in extended time. Litvinov is now leading the second-place Budejovice by 5 points (30 and 25, respectively). The last place Pardubice pulled themselves up to the next-to-the-last Plzen by winning over Kosice 5:1. The teams from the middle of the list have very even scores, the total difference between the third and the eleventh place is mere 4 points. The Leading Team Lost (in 13th Round) Tough luck in the form of number thirteen was visited on Slovan Bratislava which, as a so far leading team (18 points), lost on the soil of the still last Dukla Praha 2:3. By defeating Hradec Kralove 3:2, DAC Dunajska Streda pulled itself up in points to Slovan, but remains second when it comes to scores. Brno lost at home to Slavia 0:2 and sank from 3. place to 6th. The third place is now occupied by Sparta (17) which defeated Nitra 2:0. Olomouc showed a brave performance. Although it played the whole second half against Banik Ostrava without two eliminated players, it managed to tie 2:2, while even leading up to the last minute 2:1. The UEFA Cup: Sigma Olomouc - Juventus Turin 1:2 Olomouc could not manage against the Juventus defense which was excellently directed by a German Kohler. Italians made a killing from two chance opportunities to score and led 2:0. Sigma just managed to decrease the score by a last minute goal by Marosi. WEATHER On Saturday, snow lay almost everywhere, even Prague received a mild snow dust during the night. However, early in the week the temperature climbed to 10 degrees centigrade and the snow started to thaw even in the mountains. The days are damp and cold, morning fog and smoke exhalations make the air to be hard to breathe. Night temperatures sink usually under the freezing point. EXCHANGE RATE of the Czechoslovak Crown purchase sale USA 1USD 27.96 29.36 FRG 1DEM 17.51 18.43 GB 1GBP 41.84 44.98 FRA 1FRF 5.15 5.47 AUT 1ATS 2.49 2.61 The rates are as of November 26, 1992. Translation: Slavek Kovarik, KOVARIK@SSCvax.CIS.McMaster.Ca ---------------------------------------------------------------------- This news may be published only with "CAROLINA" designation. The subscription is free. Comments and remarks are appreciated. 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