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 STUDENTS' E-MAIL NEWS FROM CZECH REPUBLIC School of Social Sciences of Charles University Smetanovo nabr. 6 110 01 Prague 1 Czech Republic e-mail address: carolina@n.fsv.cuni.cs *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* C A R O L I N A No 59, Friday, January 22, 1993. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Sorry for late distribution of the english version thi week. editors ----------------------------------------------------------------- FROM LAST WEEK'S EVENTS (January 13-20) Havel was the candidate of the coalition I was acquainted with the fact that the coalition nominated me and I told the chairman ( of the Deputy chamber, edit. note) that I accept my nomination, said Vaclav Havel after his Tuesday's meeting with Milan Uhde. Havel is still the only oficial candidate for the post of the president of the Czech Republic. The election of the first Czech president should take place on January 26 at the second meeting of Parliament of the Czech Republic, the oath of the head of the state should be pronounced in the Vladislav's Hall in the Prague Castle on February 1. This was the agreement of the political gremium of the Czech assembly. Representatives of all deputy clubs with the exception of Christian Democratic Party and Christian Democratic Union - Czechoslovak Folk Party prefered a secret vote. The constitution does not define the way of electing the president. Nominations of other candidates can be submitted until January 26 when the assembly is going to meet. Vaclav Havel will be probably supported also by Czechoslovak Social Democracy. The candidate met these deputies on Tuesday during his visit of the Czech assembly. Czech and Slovak Republic will be members of the United Nations The Czech and Slovak Republic became on Tuesday , January 19 the members of the United Nation. The General Assembly decided so with the recommendation of the Security Council. Czech minister of Foreign Affairs, Josef Zieleniec in his first speech in the United Nations said that the Czech Republic would try to contribute to the fulfillment of the spirit as well as the text of the Charter of the UN and of the principles of democracy based on human rights and freedoms. Slovak Minister of Foreign Affairs, Milan Knazko said at the same occasion that the acceptance to the UN reflects the decision of the Slovak Republic to be involved in the activity of the international association with their own name. Former Czechoslovakia and international organisations Both the new republics were accepted the members of the World Bank to January 1. Simultaneously they became members of the International Association of Development and the International Financial Association. On January 15 the republics were accepted by the European Bank for Development and Improvement. Ambassadors of the new republics Civic Democratic Party gave up their idea of having former Deputy Chairman of the party, and Vice-premier of the last Czechoslovak government, Miroslav Macek in the post of the ambassador in Bratislava. The new candidate is former Deputy Chairman of the Federal Assembly, Filip Sedivy. Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic, Milan Knazko has no objections against him. Mr. Knazko resented the fact that spokeperson of the Slovak Cabinet, B. Greci published the mane of the candidate to the post of the Slovak ambassador in the Czech Republic (I. Mjartan ) before him being approved in Prague. Against racial discrimination Removal of the general prosecutor of the Czech Republic, JUDr. Setina, and acceptance of strong measures preventing human rights from being violated and other racial and ethnic conflicts culminated, is the demand of the section for human rights at the Helsinki's Civic Assembly (HCA) in the Czech Republic. The section met extraordinarily in January 12 to talk about the so-called Jirkov's notice (called by the name of town Jirkov in Nothern Bohemia whose local representatives approved it in their effort to solve the problems of migration of Gipsies) and about the bill presented by the general prosecutor of the Czech Republic, JUDr. Jiri Stetina to the representatives of the Czech National Council on December 28, 1992. The full content of the bill will be published in the next issue. The bill of the so-called migration act represents not only a clear segregational and discriminating approach to Gipsies but also the way of thinking which is in a deep contradiction with the basic principles of respect to human rights and civic freedoms. According to the members of the section this approach is inconsistent with the post of the general prosecutor of the republic and even endangers the reputation of the Czech Republic in the community of civilized states. The meeting also dealt with growing racial violence when the aggressivity of groups with racial ideology is aimed not only against Gipsies but also against other foreigners living in the Czech territory, like for example Vietnamees, refugees from former Yugoslavia and foreign students. The notice is condemned by the Gipsy Democratic Congress in the Czech Republic, who also do not agree with the so-called migration act. Bakery screwed up prices the most The prices of bread and bakery increased in the new year by 17-20 per cent with milk, 11-18 per cent with diary, 12.5 per cent with potatoes, 13-15 per cent with wine, 13 per cent with apples. On the other hand coffie is cheaper. On the average the prices on food increased by 8 per cent after January 1, when the valued added tax was introduced. As for the industrial goods: prices of washing machines (up to 28 per cent) and sweaters (18-22 per cent) climbed up the highest. The information of the Czech Statistic Office was published in the press this week. First talks of the Council of the Customs Union Minister of Trade and Industry of the Czech Republic, Vladimir Dlouhy was appointed the chairman of the Council of the Customs Union on Monday, January 18. The first meeting of the common Czecho-Slovak body was oriented to the organisational problems. On Thursday another meeting of the ministers of finance, representatives of customs authorities, and deputy ministers responsible for the trade will be held, concentrating on the conditions of the mutual trade. The Czech Academy of Science will abolish its institutes CAV, the succeeding organisation to the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences has the budget cut by 400.000.000 in comparison the last year, which is 36.9 per cent less than demanded. That means that the Academy proposes to abolish more than 20 institutes. 500 scientist would go to universties. These changes must be approved by the Academic assembly who will meet in the end of February. In spite of that the Academy tries to maintain the most important branches of the basic research and is looking for a fund which would enable selected scientists, laboratories of institutes to be moved into other resorts. Czech coins in February The first supply of new czech coins (Czech crown), which are produced in Canada and Germany, should reach the Czech National Bank in the end of February. According to the press spokeperson of the bank Martin Svehla these coins should be distributed after the separation of the currency with simultaneous withdrawing of the old Czechoslovak coins. Now we have five-heller, ten-heller, twenty-heller, fifty-heller, one crown, two-crown, five-crown.The new Czech currency will not have five-hellers, and will be added with coins: ten-crown, twenty-crown, fifty-crown. With growing prices we will have to get used that fifty-crown belongs among change. Czechoslovak passports Till the end of 1997 the inhabitants of the Czech Republic can travel with valid passports of Czechoslovakia. The travelling papers of the former Czechoslovak Socialist Republic will be valid only till the end of June 1996 and will not be prolonged. How many of us believe in God? 24 per cent in Bohemia and 51 per cent of the population in Slovakia believe in God. This is the result of the December's survey of the Institute of the Survey of Public Opinion, published in the press this week. The comparison of the data from 1990 shows remaining decrease in the number of those believing in God in the Czech Republic. FROM SLOVAKIA The candidate for the post of the president of the Slovak Republic nominated by Movement for Democratic Slovakia is deputy chairman of the Slovak government, Roman Kovac. Chairman of the Deputy club of Party of Democratic Left Wing, Milan Vtacnik became the candidate of that party. Another official candidates are Jozef Prokes for the Slovak National Party, and Anton Neuwith for Christian Democratic Movement. The first round of the election is on the program of the National Council of the Slovak Republic on January 26. On January 19, three fifths of the members of the National Council of the Slovak Republic voted against creating a temporary Chamber of the National Council of the Slovak Republic consisting of deputies of the former Federal Assembly Gabcikovo: the chief of the Hungarian delegation, G. Vida said that the European Community had clearly indicated to the Slovaks that they would have to change their irrevocable approach. The specialists from the European Community were allegedly shocked by the vast devastation of Nature. Hungary demands at least 80-85 per cent of the original volume of water be returned to the old river bed. The London treaty decided that 95 per cent of the water be returned. The chief of the construction, J. Binder said that the London treaty is not valid and only treaties between Hungary and the Slovak Republic made in 1977 abd 1976 are valid. These treaties confirm that 50 per cent of water is Slovakian and 50 per cent belongs to Hungary. Slovakia, he said, will not return 95 per cent of water to the old river bed of the Danube. The bugging device at the Consulate of the U.S.A. in Bratislava had been installed at least since 1985 or 198, said former general of the State Security, A. Lorenc. Americans could find out whether it was functioning, but hardly anyone could use it, he said. The investigation of the monitoring is completely in the competence of the bodies of the Slovak Republic. The Slovak government is preparing a temporary limit of maximum prices of basic food products. Deputy chairman of the Slovak government, Roman Kovac said so on January 15. SPORT Hockey The hockey league passed its 32nd round. The chart stays the same - first Litvinov (43 points) before Czech Budejovic (40 points) and Sparta Praha (38 points), the last position is still occupied by Pardubice (23 points) and Plzen (22 points). The presidium of the International federation of ice hockey (IIHF) definitely confirmed that the team of the _Czech Republic would participate at the World Mastery of A group which will take place in April in Germany. This must have been a fault of the byrocracy of IIHF because after the last year's congress of the federation it was clear that the team starting this year will be common. With respect to the big number of Czech players in the representative teams from last years the Czech Republic will stay the member of the A group, whereas Slovak would have to play for their qualification. The Slovaks were now presented a possibility of participating in the C group whose mastery takes place in the same term as the final of the last federal year of hockey league. If negotiations of additional including Slovakia to the world mastery of A group are succesful, it may happen that even the league will be finished by both the republics together. Exchange rate of the Czechoslovak crown purchase sell BRD 1DEM 17.44 18.36 USA 1USD 28.21 29.61 GB 1GBP 43.10 46.24 AUT 1ATS 2.49 2.61 FRA 1FRA 5.13 5.45 Weather The temperatures reached records even this week. In Prague we had 15 degrees and in Ceske Budejovice in Souther Bohemia even incredible 18 degrees! Snow condition are the same as in the rest of Europe - very bad. The ski-pistes in many mountain centres are empty and weather reminds everyone of spring. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- This news may be published only with "CAROLINA" designation. The subscription is free. Comments and remarks are appreciated. Send them please to the address: carolina@n.fsv.cuni.cs To subscribe to CAROLINA you send an e-mail message to the address LISTSERV@CSEARN.BITNET. The text of the message is: SUBSCRIBE CAR-ENG First name Last name for the English version or SUBSCRIBE CAR-CS First name Last name for the Czech version. 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