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 208, Friday, June 21, 1996. FROM THE EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK (June 12-19) Coalition Talks to Close During meetings June 14 and 17, the current coalition of the Civic Democratic Party (ODA), the Christian Democratic Union-Czechoslovak People's Party (KDU-CSL) and the Civic Democratic Alliance (ODA) decided to separate retirement insurance from the state budget ("...the separation of pension funds is the subject of our agreement," said KDU-CSL Chiarman to Czech daily Pravo), and compromised on the issue of decentralization, allowing larger territorial administrative regions to be created. Czech daily MF DNES quoted Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus on the second issue as saying, "we will try to establish the institution of regional self-administration in this term. However, we are subordinating this to the effort to decrease the areas in which public organs of all types will affect citizens or municipalities." Agreements were also reached at earlier negotiations allowing Klaus to stay on as chairman of the government, and Minister of Finance Ivan Kocarnik, Foreign Minister Josef Zieleniec, Health Minister Jan Strasky, Interior Minister Jan Ruml and Education Minister Ivan Pilip, all ODS members, to keep their positions. Another topic agreed upon during the talks is the reduction of governmental functionaries from 19 to anywhere from 17 to 14 (see Carolina 207). Decisions have not yet been made, though, on how to deal with individual client accounts in the healthcare system, which is supported only by ODS. Other unsolved issues include taxes, which ODA is fighting to decrease, and restitution (KDU-CSL's chief issue). Off-the-record comments of government officials indicate the resolution of these issues will determine ODS' governmental majority. After deadline: The parties' sixth meeting, held June 20, brought no final agreement. The coalition could decide on the representation of ODS in the government, with the smaller parties demanding parity. Zbynek Vicar/Andrea Snyder New Parliament Deputies to Meet June 25 Former Parliament Chairman Milan Uhde (Civic Democratic Party) called the first meeting of the post-election Parliament for June 25. Leaders of the three coalition parties (Vaclav Klaus, Civic Democratic Party; Jan Kalvoda, Civic Democratic Alliance; Josef Lux, Christian Democratic Union-Czechoslovak People's Party) agreed on the date at their June 14 meeting. Rules of order say that at the first meeting, parliamentary deputies must take their oath, to be followed by election of the chairman and either four or five vice-chairmen. According to information made public after parliamentary club meetings, two of the vice-chairmen should be from the Civic Democratic Party (68 seats), and one each from the Social Democrats (61), Christian Democratic Union-Czechoslovak People's Party (18) and the Civic Democratic Alliance (13). According to rights granted under the system of proportional representation, the Communists, with 22 seats, also wish to run for one leadership post (Parliament also hosts the neo-Fascist Republicans, who have 18 seats). Other positions, such as committee chairmanships, will be divied up next week. The Social Democrats will demand one from their ranks head the control organ for the Secret Service. The party would also like to see a Social Democrat heading the delegation representing Czech Parliament in the European Council. For now, it seems to be clear that Social Democrat Chairman Milos Zeman will occupy the same position in Parliament for the next term. Jakub Konecny/Andrea Snyder Republican Files Allegations against Party Leader Alena Muckova, head of the Ceske Budejovice organization of the neo-fascist Association for the Republic-Czechoslovak Republican Party, filed allegations against party Chairman Miroslav Sladek in Ceske Budejovice last week. Muckova charges Sladek forced her to sign a million-crown promissory note in February, threatening to take her off the ballot if she refused to sign. Sladek wanted to use this as insurance that 1996's crop of parliamentary deputies would not resemble that of 1992, when most deputies defected because of conflicts with Sladek (nine of 14 deputies fled to other parties). Only when Sladek canceled her candidacy without explanation one day before elections did Muckova go public. Now she estimates at least 40 other Republican candidates signed such notes. "Some of them promised to join my protest," Muckova said. Republican leaders have not commented on the matter. Jakub Konecny/Andrea Snyder Janyr, Horak and Paroubek Harm Party Interests The Executive Central Committee of the Czech Social Democratic Party (CSSD) met at Prague's Belmondo club the weekend of June 15-16, where they discussed whether Jiri Horak, Jiri Paroubek and Premysl Janyr would remain party members. The committee decided all three had harmed CSSD party interests prior to elections in the press, and asked Janyr to leave the party. None of the accused admit feeling guilty, nor are planning on leaving the party. Horak, former party chairman, published a story in Czech daily Pravo before the elections criticizing CSSD's policies, strategies and tactics. Paroubek, former Prague CSSD representative, had been placed seventh on CSSD's 1996 ballot. He dropped out of the race and accused colleagues (placed before him on the ballot) Frantisek Ringo Cech, Petr Hulinsky and Jaroslav Basta of being incapable of competing with candidates from other parties. He then resigned in protest from the Executive Central Committee and, just before elections, resigned from CSSD's club at Prague City Hall. Janyr, former editor-in-chief of Pravo lidu (The Right of the People, ceased to exist in 1992), appealed to readers in daily Pravo to vote for the Left Bloc. The committee did not accept Milos Zeman's resignation from the position of CSSD chairman. In a pre-election speech, Zeman had offered to "put his head on the block" if his party did not win. Although the Social Democrats did not win the elections, 26.4 per cent of the voting population voted for CSSD, a record success for the century-old party. The result exceeded 1992's turnout by more than 1 million votes. The committee confirmed the nominations of Zeman and Petra Buzkova for the positions of chairman and vice-chairwoman of Parliament. After critically evaluating election results, CSSD wants to focus more on women and retirees in the next elections. Zbynek Vicar/Andrea Snyder Meciar Invites Klaus to CEFTA Summit An invitation to the September summit for prime ministers of countries belonging to the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) was presented to Czech Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus by Slovak Ambassador to the Czech Republic Ivan Mjartan June 13, said Vadim Petrov from the Office of the Prime Minister's Press Department. Slovakia, as the current chair of the organization, is preparing the early stages of the summit. The last official negotiations between Meciar and Klaus took place at last September's CEFTA summit in Brno. Although a further meeting at year's end in Bratislava was unofficially discussed, the encounter never took place. Arsen Kocarjan/Alice Ticha Hillary Clinton to Visit Prague The First Lady of the USA is coming to Prague on July 3-5. According to Czech daily Pravo, a highlight of her stay will be an appearance at the headquarters of Radio Free Europe. Clinton will there present a message from her husband to the countries of central Europe. Her stay in Prague is part of her 10-day journey to seven central European countries, where she will emphasize US support for the newly democratic nations. Karel Bartek/Alice Ticha Czech IFOR Soldier Wounded in Bosnia First Lieutenant of the Czech IFOR mission Jaromir Dupal, 28, was severely wounded while manipulating an explosive on the evening of June 16. He lost an eye and the tips of his right index finger and thumb had to be amputated. "He was given first aid immediately; an army helicopter transported him in half an hour to a British hospital in Sipov," as press officer of the Czech battalion in Zagreb Oldrich Holecek told Czech daily Lidove noviny June 18. The Czech Ministry of Defense announced the accident occured in an area of a contact center of the 6th mechanized battalion of the Czech Army, where the lieutenant was setting security systems designed for protection of the camp. Army police, which serves within the IFOR forces, is investigating the case. The Czech IFOR battalion, which is to watch over enforcement the peace agreements, has 834 soldiers. The mandate of these forces should expire December 20, according to the Dayton pact. Arsen Kocarjan/Klara Schirova Fred and Ginger Open The often discussed building on Prague's Rasin Embankment is the collective work of architects Vlado Milunic and world-famous Frank O. Gehry. The house was built in two years at a cost of 300 million crowns, put up by an international consortium of banks headed by Nationale Nederlanden. Rent for an office in the building, nicknamed Fred and Ginger for its twisting, asymmetrical design, is going to be 58 deutchmarks per square meter, according to Czech daily Lidove noviny. Rent contracts have been signed for four of the six floors designated for offices. Negotiations for the remainder are being held primarily with foreign entities. A bar on the ground floor and a restaurant on the top floor were obtained by a French company, while an American company plans to sell cars in the lower part of the building. The inauguration set for June 20 took place, though some finishing work continues. The bar and restaurant should be open to the public in July. Zbynek Vicar/Klara Schirova ECONOMY/BUSINESS Exchange Rates at the Czech National Bank (valid from June 20) country currency ------------------------------------------ Australia 1 AUD 21.895 Belgium 100 BEF 88.623 Great Britain 1 GBP 42.814 Denmark 1 DKK 4.736 Finland 1 FIM 5.983 France 1 FRF 5.376 Ireland 1 IEP 44.054 Italy 1000 ITL 18.115 Japan 100 JPY 25.728 Canada 1 CAD 20.299 Luxemburg 100 LUF 88.623 Netherlands 1 NLG 16.271 Norway 1 NOK 4.263 New Zealand 1 NZD 18.846 Portugal 100 PTE 17.732 Austria 1 ATS 2.592 Greece 100 GRD 11.531 Slovakia 100 SKK 89.925 Germany 1 DEM 18.238 Spain 100 ESP 21.631 Sweden 1 SEK 4.188 Switzerland 1 CHF 22.142 USA 1 USD 27.770 ECU 1 XEU 34.500 SDR 1 XDR 40.213 CULTURE Variety Show Comic Jiri Sasek Exits Jiri Sasek, the actor who engraved himself into public memory thanks mainly to participating in the comic duo of Sasek - Vostrel, died June 15 at the age of 66. Sasek was a member of Prague's Rokoko Theater during the 60's, when Darek Vostrel was theater director. Together Sasek and Vostrel established a kind of satire loosely following the humor of Jiri Voskovec and Jan Werich. They became stars of broadcast and television shows, but both had to leave performance during the normalization period of the 70's. Vostrel died November 4, 1992. Jakub Konecny/Katerina Zachovalova Feast of Modern Dance in Prague The eighth annual international contemporary dance and movement festival Tanec Praha (Prague Dance) was inaugurated on Old Town Square June 15. Festival performances are also scheduled for the Archa Theater, the National Theater and Palace Akropolis. The most audience-attractive names appearing during the festival are Joseph Nadje, Ohad Naharin, Mats Ek, Christopher Bruce and Herve Diasnas. Festival director Yvona Kreuzmanova comments on the festival this way: "For me it is not just important to rely on approved values, but also to give the festival the punch of discovery." Jakub Konecny/Katerina Zachovalova SPORT 3-3 Draw with Russia Brought Czechs into EURO 96 Quarterfinal After the Czech Republic's stunning victory over Italy (see separate report), it was clear the Czech soccer team has a chance to advance to quarterfinal only on two conditions: the Czechs must not lose to Russia and Italy must not defeat Germany. Both conditions were met June 19, when the results in Group C came up: Czech Republic - Russia 3-3, Italy - Germany 1-1. For the Czech fans at Liverpool's Anfield Road Stadium, the match was a nightmare. In the first 10 minutes of the second half the Czech team lost its first-half 2-0 lead (6th minute Suchoparek, 19th Kuka) when the Russian forwards Mostovoj (48th) and defender Tetradze (53th) leveled the score 2-2. The draw was still sufficient to advance. However, when the Russian Bezshcastnych scored a goal in the 86th minute, all hopes seemed to be lost. The salvage for Czechs came in the 89th minute, when Kubik passed a long ball to Smicer, whose goal decided the outcome of match. The Czechs, as the second best team in Group C, will meet Group D winner Portugal June 23. Jiri Trunecka/Milan Smid World Championship Finalist Italy Defeated by Most Underrated Team The Fall of the Roman Empire, Three-Time World Champs on their Knees, Fantastic Victory of the Czech Republic - those were the headlines in Czech dailies June 15, one day after the Czech national soccer team shockingly defeated Italy in the EURO 96 Group C qualification. The first goal was scored by Nedved in the 5th minute. Ciesa changed the score to 1-1 in the 19th minute. In the 29th minute the Italian defender Apolloni was ejected thanks to his second harsh foul of the match. After Bejbl scored the second Czech goal in the 35th minute, the Czech team was able to maintain its lead till the end of the match. Karel Bartek/Milan Smid WEATHER The weather is nearly ideal now. The tropical spells are over, some clouds have appeared in the sky. From time to time showers clean the air, but it does not become cold, temperatures stay in the range of 20 degrees to 25 degrees Celsius /68 degrees to 77 degrees Fahrenheit. Prague's youth are wearing their most seductive summer outfits, so there is always something to look at. Karel Bartek 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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