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 Faculty of Social Science of Charles University Smetanovo nabr. 6 110 01 Prague 1 Czech Republic e-mail: CAROLINA@cuni.cz tel: (+42 2) 24810804, ext. 252, fax: (+42 2) 24810987 *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* C A R O L I N A No 204, Friday, May 24, 1996. FROM THE EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK (May 15 - 22) PRE-ELECTION SERVICE (Czech Parliamentary elections will take place May 31-June 1) *** ODS Leads CSSD by Less Than 4 Per Cent Even though pre-election polls from the Institute for Public Opinion Research (IVVM) and the Center for Empirical Research (STEM), have shown the ruling Civic Democratic Party (ODS) leading by 21.8 per cent (IVVM) and or 24 per cent (STEM), ODS leaders are convinced many more voters will support them in the voting booth. ODS spokeswoman, Jana Petrova said, "We are counting on a margin of 30 per cent or more." According to IVVM, the Czech Social Democratic Party (CSSD) has risen in favor by 17.7 per cent, while STEM notes a fall in comparison to previous results, to 19.3 per cent. The Social Democrats expect to garner 25 per cent of the voter turnout. IVVM Director Eliska Rendlova said ODS will win votes even from voters of other parties, but that the same can be expected for the Social Democrats. IVVM showed a decrease to 7.1 per cent in support for the Christian Democratic Union-Czechoslovak People's Party, while STEM noted an increase to 8.7 per cent. The Civic Democratic Alliance has, according to STEM, grown in voter status to 9.1 per cent, while IVVM marks a fall to 5.8 per cent. IVVM shows the Czech-Moravian Communist Party having improved to 7.3 per cent, and by STEM to 10.3 per cent. The far-right Association for the Republic-Czechoslovak Republican Party has gained support, noted by STEM at 7.1 per cent and IVVM at 5.8 per cent. Twenty parties registered, and 16 of them managed to put together the district registration fees required by law. All polls show only six parties being supported by 5 per cent of the voting population, the condition for entering Parliament. Perhaps the inconsistencies between STEM and IVVM are caused by the fact that IVVM for the first time only provided respondents with a list of parties going into elections, and not all parties in existence. (After deadline: Ratios of voter preference for the top two parties are confirmed by other polling agencies - Factum shows a 4 per cent lead for ODS, and DEMA slightly less than 3 per cent). Matej Husek/Andrea Snyder Wages Will Double in Four Years, Says Klaus Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus proclaimed May 14 that, if his Civic Democratic Party (ODS) is again victorious in elections, average salaries will double in the next four years, taxes will decrease and inflation will constantly decline. Klaus believes it realistic that the average wage, which reached 8,400 crowns per month last year, will double by the year 2000 or climb to a maximum of 20,000 crowns. Czech Social Democratic Party Chairman Milos Zeman, the prime minister's biggest rival in the elections, labeled these promises cheap. "I believe that under the current ODS economic policy this is not possible, because thanks to this policy our industrial production is still 24 per cent lower than in 1990," Zeman said to daily MF DNES. "It is an optimistic prognosis, but not at all impossible," commented on the prime minister's words Jiri Jonas, Czech delegate to the International Monetary Fund. Czech Statistical Bureau deputy chairman Ivan Sujan confirmed Klaus' estimate. "My prognosis would be that the average monthly wage will be over 16,000 crowns at the end of century," said Sujan. Trade union leaders admit wages could double, but they say such a development would cause heavy job losses. "An increase in the average wage to 20,000 crowns would mean that almost one-fourth of the working-age population would be without a e job," Czech-Moravian Chamber of Trade Union Deputy Chairman Milan Stech said. Darina Coufalova/Petra Sevcikova SD-LSNS Probably to Go into Election as Coalition The Election Commission refused May 16 to change its three-week-old decision, meaning the Free Democrats-Liberal Social National Party (SD-LSNS) is still a coalition with the Party of Entrepreneurs, Small Businessmen and Farmers. That means SD-LSNS has to gain at least 7 per cent of votes in the elections in order to gain any seats in Parliament. A party needs to tally 5 per cent of votes to get in. The argument between the Election Commission and SD-LSNS can be decided now only by the Supreme Court, which is due to decide this case three days before the elections begin. Daniela Coufalova/Petra Sevcikova Havel Comes Down on Republicans President Vaclav Havel said the behaviour of the Republicans, who are pasting pictures of their leader, Miroslav Sladek, over ODA posters is unsuitable and impolite. In his weekly Sunday radio program "Talks from Lany" (Hovory z Lan), the president asked "If they are behaving so immorally and rudely during the election campaign, then how will they behave in Parliament, how would they behave if they were in power?" Marketa Hudkova/Andrea Snyder Many Artists Support Political Parties in Election Campaign Governing coalition members Civic Democratic Party (ODS) and Civic Democratic Alliance (ODA) have been using popular rock and movie stars in their election campaigns. All the singers performing at ODA rallies, including rocker Vladimir Misik, or folk singers Vladimir Merta and Jaroslav Hutka are paid for their support. On the other hand, those who sing for ODS are paid only in some cases. According to the information published in the media, those paid are only those actors who appear in TV party videos (comedian Bolek Polivka, entertainer Ondrej Havelka) and singers who participated in the large-scale concert at Prague's Eden Stadium. Singer Lucie Bila gave up her paycheck for an interview, expressing her support for ODS, published in party's election magazine together with many other interviews including actors Marek Vasut, Pavel Zednicek and Jan Hrusinsky. Although some artists are paid for their appearance in election campaign, ODA and ODS leaders are convinced the performers support their parties policies, as well. "It reminds me a little bit of those silly expressions of brotherhood between the Communist Party and artists, which were sometimes organized by the previous regime," said President Vaclav Havel about artist participation in campaigns, in the May 22 edition of daily MF DNES. Michaela Vysoudilova/Petra Sevcikova *** Yitzhak Rabin in Photographs Visitors can view a photographic exhibition entitled "Yitzhak Rabin 1922-1995" at the Old King's Palace at the Prague Castle until June 9. The former Israeli prime minister and Head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who was murdered last November 5, is caught in more than 100 mostly journalistic photos in tension-filled situations at political negotiations and relaxing. Rabin's widow Lea opened the exhibition, which was attended by President Vaclav Havel May 14. The photos show Rabin meeting with PLO Chief Yasser Arafat, at military exercises or in battle, and at a market talking to citizens or painting peace pictures. Pictures depicting the atmosphere in Israel the night after his assasanation are also being exhibited. Although the politician was carefully followed his whole life, at the moment of his assassination no photographer took a picture - they were already somewhere else. Zora Kasikova/Andrea Snyder Theresienstadt Ceremony Cut Short Nearly 500 people gathered May 19 at the National Cemetery at Theresienstadt (Terezin) in memory of the suffering and deaths of those who passed through the Theresienstadt ghetto, and the concentration camps at Litomerice and Little Fortress. However, the ceremony was cut short by an anonymous phone call, saying that a bomb had been planted at the Theresienstadt Memorial. The police quickly cleared and searched the site, but nothing was found and the area was later re-opened. Marketa Hudkova/Andrea Snyder Josef Svejcar Hits 99 Josef Svejcar, the founder of Czech pediatrics, celebrated his 99th birthday May 20. He worked in Slovakia from 1919 to 1930, then after WWII served as head of the first childrens' clinic at the Charles University Hospital in Prague. His main areas of concern were were childrens' tuberculsis, bacterial infections and the nutrition of breast-feeding. He still speaks on the neccessity of maternal love in human development. Michaela Vysoudilova/Andrea Snyder Penal Code Amendments Include Passage about Legalization of Euthanasia The proposed amended Penal Code allows the possibility of the existence of a law determining conditions by which it would be possible to give agreement to medical intervention including euthanasia. The amendments should also guarantee immunity for those who intervened. The amended penal code was prepared by the Office of the Minister of Justice and made public May 17. According to current Czech laws, doctors who carry out euthanasia are subject to possible prison sentences, as they are in the vast majority of countries. It is also forbidden by the ethical code of the physicians' chamber. Justice Minister Jiri Novak said he is counting on "a massive discussion around the problem," but time for such a discussion has come, he said. Early reactions from medical and church circles have been negative. Matej Husek/Andrea Snyder Disposal Containers for Out-Dated Drugs The Meditep company has installed special containers in Ceske Budejovice for the disposal of expired medicine, which poses a serious environmental problem. Also, the local city hall will save money that would have been spent on cleaning up medical waste. Plastic disposal containers can be found in most drug stores in the center of town. A narrow opening and lock are to ensure safety from children and drug addicts. Meditep will regularly collect the waste and dispose of it. The town hall believes other towns can use its solution as well. Marketa Hudkova/Andrea Snyder FROM SLOVAKIA Kovac Jr. Kidnap Case Put Off Jozef Ciz, investigator of the Slovak president's son Michal Kovac Jr.'s kidnapping, decided to deactivate the investigation May 20. As a reason he cited the lack of evidence, which would make criminal proceedings ting of penalt process against concrete persons make possible. The investigation can go on, if there are some new facts. According to Czech daily MF DNES, Ciz's step is the logical extension of his effort to prove there was no kidnapping, and that Kovac Jr. planned the episode as a way to avoid interrogation because of the Technopol case (the Slovak firm might have lost 2.3 million USD during in various frauds). The investigator's opinion is shared by the ruling circles that the Slovak president was also involved in "the selfkidnapping" and the goal of the act was the discrediting of the country and the secret service. Before Ciz, the kidnapping was investigated by Jaroslav Simunic and Petr Vacok. They both came to the conclusion that Kovac Jr. was kidnapped by the Slovak information service - Vacok on the basis of gathered evidence had prepared a proposal to charge two secret service agents. Under a direct order from Attorney General Milan Valo the charges had to be stopped. Like Simunic, Vacok was also recalled from the case. Marketa Skodova/Jitka Hejtmanova Interior Minister Hudek Keeps Job A recording of a telephone conversation between Slovak Interior Minister Ludovit Hudek and Slovak Information Service head Ivan Lexa, in which the two agree on recalling Peter Vacok (see above article), was made public. Vacok was recalled October 17, the day after the conversation took place. In the interview, which experts consider undoubtedly authentic, Lexa demands the recalling of Vacok, and was then assured by Hudek that after consulting allegedly with Premier Vladimir Meciar, the recall was secure. Hudek immediately admitted the authenticity of the recording, but then questioned May 15 whether the voice was his. Hudek had confirmed the accuracy of the recording before its publication to the directors of Twist Radio. Lexa claims he does not remember the conversation with Hudek. The government has not commented on the issue. According to opposition Parliament deputy Milan Knazko, the recording is prove that the ways of the mafia rule Slovakia (the conversation included obscene expressions). Opposition Parliament deputies May 16, banging on their desks, demanded Hudek's removal. The opposition proposal to discuss removing Hudek was surprisingly approved. After deadline: Parliament rejected a vote of no confidence in Hudek May 23. Marketa Skodova/Michael Bluhm Remias' Parents Claim Son Murdered by Secret Police The parents of 26-year-old Robert Remias, who died April 24 when his car exploded, claim their son was murdered by the secret police. They say that the head of the Slovak Secret Service (SIS) Ivan Lexa and Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar are directly responsible for the death of their son. Remias' parents were published in the Bratislava press May 18 as begging all Slovak citizens and Christians not to allow priests Pavel Flajzik and Jan Krstitel Balasz and reporter Peter Toth to be followed by the government. Meciar filed charges against them for openly accusing SIS and the government or carrying responsibility for Remias' death. Remias had been the best friend of Oskar Fegyeresz, who was a star witness in the case of the kidnapping of Michal Kovac, Jr.(see above). For a long time, Remias had been the only link between Fegyeresz and the press. After admitting his part in the kidnapping, Fegyeresz named Lexa as having participated in its organization. Remias was one of the few people, who knew where the former agent, pardoned by the president, is hiding. Some claim Remias' death was a warning to all witnesses. The official police version says Remias' car began to burn as a result to a problem in the fuel system. "We challenge Meciar, Lexa, Hudek and the Slovak government to charge our murdered son, as well, because, shortly before he was killed he said exactly these words: 'If they touch my life, then the murderers are Meciar, Lexa and their followers,'" said his parents. As noted in even the Czech press, representatives of the opposition Christian Democrats Frantisek Miklosko and Jan Carnogursky are calling the death a political murder. Marketa Skodova/Andrea Snyder Successful Film Festival in Banska Bystrica The Premiere of the Slovak movie Jaskuv sen (Jaska's dream) was on May 18 the last screening of the second international Film Festival of Film Clubs in Banska Bystrica. According to experts, a festival of such thematic focus and of a such rich variety is unique in Europe. Among the participants present at the festival were, among others, Czechs Radim Spacek and Karel Kachyna (five of his movies were shown there), Frenchman Claude Lelouch, Ukrainian Russian Kirs Maratova, German director of Slovak origin Juraj Herz and one of the most famous Slovak emigrees - documentary maker George J. Torok. Marketa Skodova/Milan Smid ECONOMY Commercial Court Freezes Stehlik's Ownership Rights in Poldi Ocel The Prague District Commercial Court issued a restraining order to Vladimir Stehlik, the co-owner of Poldi Ocel Kladno steelworks, who is thus prohibited to manipulate with his majority share in the company. "By its decision the court admitted the urgent state interest in preventing the transfer of Bohemia Art's share in Poldi. We are waiting with tension for another court decision that would confirm our decision to cancel the contract on the sale of the steel mill, and that would compel Stehlik to leave," said Chairman of the National Property Fund Roman Ceska. Poldi Ocel appealed the decision. According to Borivoj Vagner, the bankrupcy administrator of Holding Company Kladno, the situation in Poldi Ocel is extremely serious, and the bankrupcy procedure would help to improve it. Daily Denni Telegraf quoted Vagner's belief that the Commercial Court will approve the Holding's suggestion to invalidate the results of open competition where Stehlik's Bohemia Art won. On May 20 Poldi Ocel paid 4.5 million Czech crowns as a delayed payment for the second part of its May energy bill to the Kladno Energy Center ECK. If the bill were not paid, the ECK would stop the energy supply. Nevertheless, since May 17, Poldi has asked for only 6 megawatt of power as the technological minimum necessary for finishing products. Marketa Skodova/Milan Smid Agricultural Import from EU Countries Exceeds Export by 13 Billion CZK In spite of the fact that half of the Czech agrarian export went to EU states last year, the import from the EU exceeded export by about 13 billion Czech crowns. "What matters is the active balance in trade with the products that we know to produce. In the import side there are mostly products we don't know how to make at home," told daily MF DNES Minister of Agriculture Josef Lux. The agriculture circles comment the recent pre-election promise of Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus to limit the import of EU subsidized food to the Czech Republic. "We want of course to cut down the almost 13-billion-crown deficit of agricultural trade with the EU, but the ban on the import is no solution. On the contrary we need better state support for our producers to enable them to increase exports," said Jan Sedmidubsky, secretary of the Czech-Moravian Union of Agriculture Cooperatives. Marketa Skodova/Milan Smid Exchange Rates at the Czech National Bank (valid from May 24) country currency ------------------------------------------ Australia 1 AUD 21.979 Belgium 100 BEF 87.393 Great Britain 1 GBP 41.860 Denmark 1 DKK 4.654 Finland 1 FIM 5.829 France 1 FRF 5.306 Ireland 1 IEP 43.182 Italy 1000 ITL 17.764 Japan 100 JPY 25.960 Canada 1 CAD 20.251 Luxemburg 100 LUF 87.393 Netherlands 1 NLG 16.062 Norway 1 NOK 4.195 New Zealand 1 NZD 18.952 Portugal 100 PTE 17.511 Austria 1 ATS 2.554 Greece 100 GRD 11.367 Slovakia 100 SKK 89.028 Germany 1 DEM 17.958 Spain 100 ESP 21.564 Sweden 1 SEK 4.052 Switzerland 1 CHF 21.881 USA 1 USD 27.739 ECU 1 XEU 33.945 SDR 1 XDR 39.938 CULTURE Ljuba Hermanova Died Actress and singer Ljuba Hermanova died May 21 at the age of 83. She performed in public an unbelievable 66 years. After engagements in Bratislava, Brno and Vienna she became a member of the famous Liberated (Osvobozene) Theater. Later she performed in the Karlin Music Theater. In the turn of the 50's and 60's she found inspiration in the theater of small forms. In the cinema art she introduced herself in such movies as the Money or Your Life or the Girl With a Devil in Her Body. Ljuba Hermanova earned the public esteem by her songs and particularly old Prague songs, which gained great popularity in her versions. Marketa Hudkova/Klara Schirova Mystery of Life - Photo Exhibit as Fairy Tale about the Human Body Swedish photographer Lennart Nilsson managed to view the inside of human body and make unique photographs by an unbelivably small eye with a lens (0.6 to 4 mm). His Prague exhibition was greeted with large interest from the public. The series of exclusive pictures could be seen in the Gallery Ambit in the Franciscan Monastery in Jungmann Square till May 19. Nilson, 74, has been working closely for 53 years with a team of scientists and doctors. He utilizes medical endoscopes, microscopes and other facilities that he designs himself for his work as photographer. Thanks to diligent and patient work he has broght incredibly clear and sharp pictures of the first moment of origin of human life. The enthralling pictures show, in hours, days and weeks, the evolution of the fetus in the mother's womb? But at the same time Nilsson does not forget that life and death are very near to each other and so he takes pictures the influence of killing parasites in human body, like the HIV virus, AIDS and malaria. Nilsson started his career as a photojournalist and documentarian. He portrayed the life of ants, mosquitos, bees in the 60's and ended with the human body. He published the books The Mirror (1959), Life in the Sea (1959), Birth of a Child (1971), Mystery of Life (1974) etc. His books and photographical work earned enormous success in the world and he was awarded with the Hasselblad Prize in 1980. Today he has advanced much further and he is trying to add movement and sound to his pictures. Maria Tripoliti/Klara Schirova SPORT Results of the Czech Soccer League 1995-6 Results of the 30th round: Liberec - Slavia 2-3, Opava - Ostrava 3-0, Cheb - Ceske Budejovice 0-0, Sparta - Plzen 1-0, Zizkov - Hradiste 2-2, Brno - Jablonec 1-0, Zlin - Drnovice 1-0, Olomouc - Hradec Kralove 1-0. Final 1995-6 League Standings 1. SK Slavia Praha 23 1 6 68-28 70 2. SK Olomouc Sigma 19 4 7 53-33 61 3. FK Jablonec n. N. 16 5 9 45-26 53 4. AC Sparta Praha 14 7 9 56-35 49 5. FC Petra Drnovice 14 6 10 53-40 48 8. FC Kaucuk Opava 13 7 10 40-34 46 7. FC Slovan Liberec 12 8 10 34-30 44 8. FC Boby Brno 12 7 11 39-42 43 9. FC Viktoria Plzen 11 6 13 33-34 39 10. FK Viktoria Zizkov 9 10 11 38-43 37 11. SK C. Budejovice 10 7 13 35-47 37 12. FC Banik Ostrava 10 5 15 40-46 35 13. FC Union Cheb 8 9 13 35-47 33 14. SK Hradec Kralove 8 5 17 28-46 29 15. FC Svit Zlin 6 9 15 17-38 27 16. FC JOKO Uh. Hrad. 3 8 19 19-65 17 Darina Coufalova Sparta Winner of the Czech Soccer Cup In the finale of the Czech-Moravian Soccer Union CMFS Cup, the Sparta team defeated Drnovice 4-0 in Prague May 22. Goals: Nedved 26 and 55, Svoboda 45, 71 Kouba (penalty kick). Ondra Trunecka WEATHER Hail with a diameter of 5 cm fell during the Prague's May 18 thunderstorm. The best pieces were stored in fridges or freezers just to be shown as evidence to those who did not see it. Some hail damaged parked cars, but more serious accidents were caused by the torrent of rainwater downtown, where water flooded the metro stations. Ondra Trunecka/Milan Smid English version edited by Michael Bluhm. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- This news may be published only with "CAROLINA" designation. The subscription is free. Comments and remarks are appreciated. 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