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: (+4202) 24810804, ext. 252, fax: (+4202) 24810987 *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* C A R O L I N A No 264, Friday, November 7, 1997. FROM THE EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK (October 29 - November 5) Havel's Respiratory System in Need of Respite Because of a diagnosis of pneumonia, Czech President Vaclav Havel has been hospitalized since November 2 at Prague's Central Military Hospital. Latest reports are that his condition is improving slightly. The council of physicians that met Sunday to discuss Havel's state say Havel caught a virus earlier in the week which aggravated his chronic bronchitis and then worsened into pneumonia. The Office of the President has canceled all of Havel's meetings and trips for this week and the next. The president has postponed an address in Parliament, as well as a trip to Great Britain. He was to have left November 3 with Minister without Portfolio Pavel Bratinka (see next article). If there will be no further complications, Havel's doctors will allow him to name the new ministers of Foreign Affairs, Interior, and Labor and Social Affairs November 8 (see Carolina 262 and 263). He would then immediately return to the hospital. Havel's current illness was kept under wraps, as it was last December, when a tumor and much of his right lung were removed. The public learned of the pneumonia from his wife Dagmar several days after the diagnosis. The pysicians' council has not yet been able to estimate how long Havel's recuperation should take. However, similar illnesses generally require several weeks for recovery. Doctors say chronic fatigue and a demanding schedule played a role in the president's illness. Anna Kadava/Andrea Snyder Czech Government Wants Czech Romanies in the Czech Republic The Czech government reviewed Minister without Portfolio Pavel Bratinka's report on the situation of Romany (Gypsy) communities in the Czech Republic October 29. The material is an attempt to find a way to integrate the Romany minority into Czech society. President Vaclav Havel also attended the meeting. One of the main points in Bratinka's report is to strengthen the system of elementary-school education for students from socially and linguistically impaired environments. It focuses on waiving the requirments for the minimal amount of students per classroom and on a new way to test children when placing them into schools for the mentally handicapped. The majority of Romany children in the Czech Republic attend such schools. The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs is to create the standard for Romany teaching assistants, who would work as intermediaries between teachers and Romany children. This system has been successful in a few schools already. Bratinka has requested that a system to motivate employers to hire Romanies be created. The government approved the report and has publicly asked Romanies not to leave the country, but to stay and cooperate with the government in erasing the feeling of racial discrimination from Czech society. "I would be glad if Romany citizens would not succumb to illusions and not throw themselves into adventures that will only bring them misfortune in the end," said President Havel after the meeting. However, Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus admitted there is no way to stop immediately the exodus of Romanies. Ondrej Drabek/Andrea Snyder Intelligentsia Reject Racism Signatories of the Schwarzenberg Challenge signed a decree against racism saying that Romanies in the Czech Republic and Slovakia are discriminated against the most, according to the November 3 edition of daily Lidove noviny. Their goal is to shake the population out of its apathy towards racially motivated attacks. "If a person is unfairly attacked, degraded and insulted it is necessary to support him immediately, without regard to race, nationality or ethnicity," the authors wrote. They added that when similar events occur in democratic societies, the entire government usually protests. The 40 signatories include Senate Chairman and former Prime Minister (1990-1992) Petr Pithart. Pedro Afanador/Andrea Snyder Travel Visas for Czechs to Great Britain not Required Yet Czech Minister without Portfolio and Chairman of the Council for Nationalities Pavel Bratinka met with British Interior Ministry official Mike O'Brien in London to discuss the October flood of Czech Romanies to Great Britain and its visa implications for Czechs. Following the meeting, the November 5 daily Denni telegraf reported Bratinka as saying entry visas will not yet be a requirement, but that it depends on the situation's development. The article also said O'Brien commended the Czech government's attempt to curb discrimination against minorities and its decision to ensure a high human rights standard. Lenka Vochocova/Andrea Snyder Defense Ministry Releases NATO Integration Timetable The Defense Ministry November 3 presented a timetable of integration measures to Parliament's NATO Integration Committee. From the 15 parts into which the timetable was divided, personnel policy is judged the most pressing. According to Defense Minister Miloslav Vyborny, the basis of the policy should be the creation of a wide social background for personnel now missing in the Czech Army. Recently, Vyborny has taken personal responsibility for fulfilling the timetable in reaction to an ultimatum from the ruling Civic Democratic Party (ODS) and Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus's strong criticism. Klaus threatened to dismiss Vyborny if dynamic reforms do not take place. He rebuked Vyborny's abstract articulation of priorities and the financing of the Army. The minister pointed out the presence of economic matters in the timetable, although he called release of the timetable a "disgraceful thing," because his office thus comes under the direct review of the public. Vyborny indirectly appealed to other ministries to release their studies, because he said similar documents have been prepared at least by the Interior Ministry and the Foreign Ministry. Jan Kozanek/Jana Ciglerova Politicians See NATO Obstacles Differently The issue of the Czech Republic's entry into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the related Czech Army re-organization were the key topics in top Czech politicians' speeches given at the opening of a four-day meeting of commanding officers of the army general staff November 4. All speakers agreed on the problems' importance, but they differ concerning the major factor endangering entry into NATO. Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus criticized foremost domestic political tension, and called on the coalition and opposition to maintain political calm in the country. He also said the government does not intend to professionalize the army, but will support preserving compulsory military service. He criticized unsuccessful military tenders and army training as a whole. On the contrary, President Vaclav Havel, whose speech was given by the Office of the President Chief Ivan Medek, does not attach major importance to coalition friction. He asked for stronger support for Czech NATO membership and for awareness of membership's importance. He also expressed favor for higher standards for army training, a better social program for career soldiers and to finish the army's structural changes. Defense Minister Miloslav Vyborny concentrated on the army's role in the process of incorporating the Czech Republic into the Alliance. The tenor of his speech was described in November 5 editions of daily Lidove noviny as "very abstract." Katerina Murlova/Denisa Vitkova Fighter-Plane Purchase Will Probably Be Postponed Czech Army experts have recommended postponing the purchase of 36 fighter planes until 2004. One of the reasons is that the purchase, which the government should decide about this year, is not considered by the NATO to be a priority. This fact became evident at a meeting between Defense Minister Miloslav Vyborny and Peter Carstens, the chief of staff for NATO Europe's High Command. Carstens said October 31 that "It is about nation 'A' bringing certain possibilities to country 'B,' and vice versa. The point is to save money and use spending for defense." Strategists interpret these words such that the Czech Republic should, for a temporary period of time, use the offer of Alliance, which can within minutes cover the country's airspace with fighter planes from aircraft carriers in the Mediterranean or from its base in Spangdahlen, Germany. However, Deputy Defense Minister Jaromir Novotny does not agree with the army analysts. "I cannot imagine the country's defense without supersonic aircraft. The fighter-plane purchase is also connected with industrial cooperation, which western companies are offering us. That, after all, does not mean ruining the economy," he said. Michal Cerny/Denisa Vitkova Social Democrats Call for Special Elections The Social Democrats, said Chairman Milos Zeman October 30 in Ostrava, have run out of patience and the party is going to try to call early elections. The chairman of the most powerful opposition party said he is not satisfied that the current government is unable to stop the destruction of the Czech economy. Party Vice Chairman Petra Buzkova said they expect their proposal to be supported by some members of the Chamber of Deputies from the two other coalition parties (the Civic Democratic Alliance and the Christian Democrats) who also do not approve of current government policy. The call for special elections appears just after the statement of the Christian Democrats calling for a new government declaration (see the last issue of Carolina) and for a vote of confidence in Parliament. Zeman announced, as many times before, that his vision of the future government is a coalition between his party and the Christian Democrats. However, Christian Democrat Chairman Josef Lux did not support the intention to hold the early elections, because he said it is too early. The Civic Democratic Alliance has announced it will defend the current government on the condition the ministers fulfill what they promised. Erik Tabery/Zdenek Janda Klaus: Change in Party Image Necessary and Urgent Prime Minister and the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) Chairman Vaclav Klaus will present a seven-page analysis of the party's situation to the ODS Executive Council this weekend. In the analysis Klaus names all the causes of the party's declining popularity. These include coalition disunity, the aggressive approach of the opposition, the public's tiring after eight years of transformation, and foremost the inability to reform healthcare. This material is another analysis which follows September's analysis from ODS's Vice Chairman Miroslav Macek. Klaus describes that document as an example of a "solo performance having a tendency to divide the party and to create a false radicalism." Daily Lidove noviny November 1 published a comparison of Klaus' and Macek's materials, revealing significant differences in their opinions. According to Klaus' analysis, in order to win the next elections the party must change its image, while Macek considers ODS' defeat inevitable. According to the last opinion poll, three-quarters of respondents see the present situation as a crisis of confidence in the government, and see ODS as responsible. Lenka Jindrlova/Gabrijela Pecic No Danger of Illness Epidemic after Floods Citizens of flooded areas getting ready for winter are facing one problem less. According to information given by the Czech daily Lidove Noviny, since November 3 hygienists have not recorded an increased occurrence of epidemic illnesses in areas affected by the summer floods. Eva Fronkova/Sofia Karakeva Number of Hospitals to Be Reduced A tender among hospitals for contracts with health insurance companies began November 5. Through this step the Health Ministry will try to reduce the number of hospital beds. About 39 hospitals should become nursing homes and 11 should be closed down - the reasons for the planned reduction is the excessive number of beds, which causes serious problems to insurance offices. The country's 74,000 hospital beds for acute care will be reduced by about 20,000, while the 7,000 extended care beds will grow to 17,000. Even though healthcare problems are being discussed, according to a poll done by the Institute for Public Opinion Research, 85 per cent of respondents are satisfied with healthcare, of them 25 per cent are definitely satisfied and 60 per cent satisfied. Full dissatisfaction felt 1 per cent of respondents, while 13 per cent were dissatisfied and the remaining 1 per cent had no opinion. Karolina Kucerova/Sofia Karakeva SLOVAKIA Appropriate Economic Measure or Free Press Restriction? The Slovak government has proposed increasing value-added taxes (VAT) from 6 per cent to 23 per cent for dailies, magazines and other periodicals, where advertising space exceeds 10 per cent of total content or where content is pornographic or erotic. Because most periodicals, particularly dailies, depend on income from advertisments, resistance to the proposal immediately arose. While the government explains the measure as repairing the minimal revenue from advertisments published in the newspapers, the opposition and journalist associations see it as an attempt to restrict freedom of the press and to leave only periodicals supporting the government. Some speculate about "obedient" periodicals receiving financial subsidies from the government, and both sides now await the vote in the Slovak National Assembly. Paula Majorova/Ajla Zinhasovic' ECONOMY Pilip Reveals Government's Privatization Mistakes Finance Minister Ivan Pilip has criticized the government and other government authorities for not having dealt with fraud in connection with privatization. In his department's internal material, Pilip blames the government and the previous leadership at the ministry for inactivity in preventing and investigating financial frauds. This document was published by the daily Pravo October 30. The material says the reasons for current economic problems and the negative mood in society lie in the delaying of resolving some negative issues accompanying privatization and the creation of the capital market. The material also questions the viability of voucher privatization, because a number of people became rich at the expense of others. The material says: "Now we all remain behind an aggressive class of owners who do not respect the rules which are standard in other countries." Pilip and Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus accused Pravo's editors of distorting the information. Pilip acknowledged the existence of the document, and then told journalists the quotes were accurate. Ludvik Pospisil/Veronika Machova After deadline: The government November 5 approved amendments to the Investment Funds and Investment Companies Act, and instructed the Finance Ministry to continue in reforming the capital market. Social Democrats Want to Stop Quick Privatization of Banks The presidium of the Social Democrats introduced a bill November 1 to block the privatization of strategic enterprises and banks. According to the Finance Ministry, the three largest Czech banks should be privatized before the year 2000. Almost 49 per cent of the shares of the Commerce Bank (Komercni banka), 69 per cent of the shares of three Czechoslovak Trade Bank (Ceskoslovenska obchodni banka - CSOB), and 45 per cent of the shares of the Czech Savings Bank (Ceska sporitelna) are held by the state. Based on Prague Stock Exchange prices, the state's share in the Commerce Bank are worth at least 15 billion crowns, the share in the Czech Savings Bank at least 9 billion crowns. The CSOB shares are not traded on the market. However, it is this bank which should change its owner by the end of next year. The intention to privatize the three largest banks was passed by Parliament in September. But the Social Democrats' Parliamentary club wants to stop the process until the next parliamentary elections. Madiyar Magauin/Veronika Machova Exchange Rates at the Czech National Bank (valid from November 7) country currency ------------------------------------------ Australia 1 AUD 22.973 Belgium 100 BEF 92.300 Great Britain 1 GBP 55.032 Denmark 1 DKK 5.003 Finland 1 FIM 6.328 France 1 FRF 5.685 Ireland 1 IEP 49.418 Italy 1000 ITL 19.439 Japan 100 JPY 26.725 Canada 1 CAD 23.458 Luxemburg 100 LUF 92.300 Hungary 100 HUF 16.864 Netherlands 1 NLG 16.890 Norway 1 NOK 4.659 New Zealand 1 NZD 20.519 Poland 1 PLN 9.506 Portugal 100 PTE 18.653 Austria 1 ATS 2.705 Greece 100 GRD 12.124 Slovakia 100 SKK 97.995 Germany 1 DEM 19.040 Spain 100 ESP 22.545 Sweden 1 SEK 4.354 Switzerland 1 CHF 23.305 USA 1 USD 32.849 ECU 1 XEU 37.597 SDR 1 XDR 45.273 CULTURE Jazz Fans Will Get Candy Candy Dulfer and her band Funky Stuff will perform in Prague November 7 as the final attraction of the Teacher's Jazz Festival. Dulfer, a 28-year-old Dutch saxophonist, has worked with Prince, Dave Stewart, David Gilmour and Van Morrison. She skillfully mixes rhythm and blues, funk, jazz, ethno and black music. The concert, her second in Prague, has sold out the Lucerna Great Hall. Jana Ciglerova, Eric Tabery/Matej Cerny Plastic People Touring Czech Republic The Plastic People of the Universe, an underground band heavily persecuted during Communism, is finally touring the Czech Republic after 30 years of its existence. The tour started October 31 in the Golet rock club in the northern Bohemian town of Liberec and will continue in Pilsen, Ceske Budejovice, Brno, Valasske Mezirici and other towns. The Plastics (as they are commonly called) will play four times in Prague. They only give their shows in rock clubs. The Plastic People were founded in 1968. Some of its members were sentenced to long prison terms in the process which spawned the Charter 77 movement. Now the band features Josef Karafiat, Jan Brabec, Josef Janicek, Vratislav Brabenec, Jiri Kabes and Milan Hlavsa. The band wants to prove through the tour that they were not only the symbol of dissident underground culture, but also a group of musicians playing very good alternative music. The lyrics, originally poems by Czech underground poet Egon Bondy, were fundamental for the Plastics. All shows are sold out. Ondrej Hanzal/Matej Cerny Non-authorized Book about Tomas Jezek Comes Out The book Creating Capitalism in Bohemia (Budovani kapitalismu v Cechach) contains interviews done by publicist Petr Husak in 1993-94 with former Privatization Minister and current Parliament deputy Tomas Jezek. Jezek has not authorized the book. Husak, who owns the copyright for the book, decided to publish without Jezek's approval. Jezek reserves in his testimony a special space for Vaclav Klaus and his relationship towards dissent. Jezek dredges up the dispute over "paternity" of voucher privatization and he comments, notes and gossips about former and contemporary politicians, such as former Economy Minister Karel Dyba and former Trade Minister Vladimir Dlouhy and others. Jezek will probably not sue the author or publisher: Jezek said "I am angry but I will not take any steps against them." Tomas Mls/Ivona Pulkrabkova SPORTS In Moscow Novotna Wins Fourth Title This Year Top-seeded Jana Novotna won the WTA Tour Championships in Moscow. After her finals victory against Japan's Ai Sugiyama 6-3, 6-4, she received the winner's trophy, the Kremlin Cup, and also 150,000 USD. "I didn't play my best tennis, but it was an overall solid performance," she said. This year she has won four titles, 18 for her career. David Kozohorsky/Mirek Langer Soccer League: in 11th Round Bohdanec Wins for First Time In their fifth home match, players of last-place Bohdanec managed to get three points, defeating third-place Liberec 1-0. They celebrated their first-ever league win in Bohdanec stadium after Marek Trval's goal. Slavia Praha did not live up to its favorite role, and after a loss in Ceske Budejovice fell nine points behind Sparta in the standings again. Results: Teplice - Opava 0-0, Ceske Budejovice - Slavia Praha 2-1, Olomouc - Brno 2-1, Zizkov - Ostrava 0-0, Jablonec - Dukla 2-0, Plzen - Drnovice 1-5, Bohdanec - Liberec 1-0, Sparta Praha - Hradec Kralove 1-0. Standings: 1. Sparta Praha 28 pts., 2. Slavia Praha 19, 3. Olomouc 17, 4. Drnovice 16, 5. Jablonec 16, 6. Liberec 16, 7. Brno 15, 8. Teplice 15, 9. Ostrava 15 (*), 10. Opava 14, 11. Dukla 14, 12. Zizkov 13, 13. Hradec Kralove 13, 14. Ceske Budejovice 12, 15. Plzen 7 (*), 16. Bohdanec 6. Teams with an asterisk have to play one match more. David Kozohorsky/Mirek Langer Two Moravian Teams Fight for Lead in Hockey Extraleague Vitkovice returned to the top of the Staropramen Extraleague standings. Trinec's 0-9 debacle in Litvinov helped them. Individual points leader David Moravec shared in Vitkovice's 8-3 win against Kladno with his hat trick. Defending champion Vsetin lost in Jihlava and stayed in sixth place. Opava returned to last place, and its leading scorer, Juraj Jurik, left for Slovakia's Skalica team. Results from the 20th round: Opava - Slavia Praha 1-3, Trinec - Kladno 2-0, Jihlava - Sparta Praha 1-2, Plzen - Ceske Budejovice 1-1, Litvinov - Zlin 4-4, Pardubice - Karlovy Vary 2-2, Vsetin - Vitkovice 2-2. 21st round: Vitkovice - Kladno 8-3, Slavia Praha - Plzen 2-5, Zlin - Opava 7-2, Litvinov - Trinec 9-0, Jihlava - Vsetin 3-2, Karlovy Vary - Sparta Praha 3-3, Ceske Budejovice - Pardubice 5-2. Standings: 1. Vitkovice 31, 2. Trinec 31 (*), 3. Litvinov 26, 4. Sparta Praha 26, 5. Plzen 25, 6. Vsetin 24, 7. Zlin 22, 8. Slavia Praha 19, 9. Pardubice 19, 10. Jihlava 19 (*), 11. Ceske Budejovice 17, 12. Kladno 16, 13. Karlovy Vary 12, 14. Opava 11 (*). Teams with an asterisk: Trinec has played two matches more, Jihlava and Opava have played one match more. Milan Eisenhammer/Mirek Langer National Hockey Team Begins Finnish Karjala Cup The Czech national hockey team will kick off its season in the Karjala Cup in Helsinki's Jaahalli Dome November 6-9. The Czech team, with seven players from Swedish and Finnish leagues, begins its performance against Sweden and will continue against Finland and Russia. The tournament is a part of the Euro Hockey Tour, which continues with the Baltica Cup in Russia in December and the Globen Cup in Sweden in April. After eight years, member of the 1985 world champion team Vladimir Ruzicka returned to the national team. Vsetin defender Jan Srdinko is the only rookie on the squad. Coach Ivan Hlinka considers Finland the tournament favorite. Jiri Polak/Mirek Langer After Deadline: Soccer: Champions League: Galatasaray Istanbul - Sparta Praha 2-0 (0-0), Juventus Torin - 1. FC Kosice (Slovakia) 3-2. Cup Winners Cup: Slavia Praha - OGC Nice 1-1 (0-0). The first match finished 2-2 and so Slavia advances. Hockey: Karjala Cup: Czech Republic - Sweden 0-1. WEATHER This week began with foggy weather and cold, winter-like temperatures dropping to minus 8 degrees Celsius/17 degrees Fahrenheit. Some mountains were covered with snow, which sprinkled mountain roads. Jan Puncochar/Sofia Karakeva ----------------------------------------------------------------------- This news may be published only with "CAROLINA" designation. The subscription is free. Comments and remarks are appreciated. 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