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 281, Friday, March 20, 1998. FROM THE EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK (March 11-18) DOMESTIC AFFAIRS Government Decides to Raise Rents and Energy Prices The Cabinet March 11 approved increases of 24 per cent for household electricity rates, and 27 per cent for gas and state-controlled rents. Rents will vary according to the size of the city; in Prague rents might jump as high as 41 per cent. The partial deregulation had sparked a great deal of discussion. The increases are less than those proposed by former Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus' government, although several ministers say they would have supported even greater reductions. Christian Democrat Agriculture Minister Josef Lux, who proposed a 20-per-cent increase in electricity rates, said he was not satisfied with the decision but would respect it just as will Trade Minister Karel Kuhnl, who supported 30-per-cent increases. Although pensions and other social supports will increase by an average of 400 crowns monthly with the price boosts, the unions have been making themselves heard. Union leader Richard Falbr said unions must re-open wage talks this year. Falbr said the price increases betray government-union deals from the Klaus' era. The opposition Social Democrats disagreed with the government's decision. The party's shadow labor minister, Vladimir Spidla, said what the party can do to overturn the decision depends on its showing in the June elections. On a March 15 discussion program of TV Nova "Seven or seven days", Social Democrat Parliament deputy Lubomir Zaoralek said the price increases merely serve to boost the state budget through the taxes of monopoly suppliers. He said wages at state-controlled, monopoly energy distributor Czech Energy Company (CEZ), at an average wage of l8,000 crowns per month, nearly double the average wage. Also, he said that price increases will serve to subsidize completion of the controversial nuclear power plant Temelin. Czech National Bank Governor Pavel Kysilka said his bank had recommended the state first approve a general energy policy before taking such a step. The central bank said that because of the inflation which might accompany the increases it might have to increase interest rates again, which would only serve to slow growth. Jakub Svab/Andrea Snyder Tosovsky Communist Party Member for 14 Years Czech weekly magazine Tyden reported that Prime Minister Josef Tosovsky was a Communist Party member until 1989. He joined the party three years after he joined the Czech National Bank. Tyden pointed ut the fact that none of his biographical clips include this information. Tosovsky said he thought his membership was public knowledge, and that he never did predominantly political work. Government minister Vladimir Mlynar, who, as a former journalist, knew of Tosovsky's party background, said the government did not include the information because it used his biography from the Czech National Bank. The central bank said it followed examples of other bank governors, which never discussed political activities. Party leaders Vaclav Klaus (Civic Democratic Party), Josef Lux (Christian Democrats) and Milos Zeman (Social Democrats) said the issue is not cause for resignation. Erik Tabery/Andrea Snyder Social Democrat Funding Scandal A Czech television program revealed a document which showed that Social Democrat (CSSD) Chairman Milos Zeman and former Vice Chairman Karel Machovec offered Czech-Swiss businessmen the opportunity to influence political decisions for a campaign donation of 20 million Swiss francs to 30 million francs. Former CSSD Parliament deputy Jaroslav Vlcek was to have arranged the deal. Jan Vizek, one of the businessmen, sent the document to the television station. Although Zeman first called the entire thing a lie, Machovec said he remembers Zeman and Vlcek signing a memorandum. He said, however, the television copy of the document is false, and that the signatures are not original. Vlcek denies CSSD members signed this or a similar document. Zeman submitted related documents to Interior Minister Cyril Svoboda and said he had thrown out of his office Vizek and Vizek's proposed memorandum. The intelligence service may investigate the case. Erik Tabery/Andrea Snyder Freedom Union Gets Voters from ODS and ODA The three-month-old Freedom Union (US) has gained the sympathy of 18 per cent of voter-preference poll respondents and has become the second-most popular party after Parliament Chairman Milos Zeman's Social Democrats (CSSD), which still lead with 29.5 per cent support. The Civic Democratic Party (ODS) has stabilized at 11 per cent, the Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL) are at 9 per cent and the Civic Democratic Alliance (ODA), with 1 per cent, would not today make it into Parliament. The Communists are up to 9 per cent and Miroslav Sladek's neo-fascist Republicans have improved to 8 per cent. The poll results were released March 14 by the Center for Empirical Research (STEM). Freedom Union Chairman Jan Ruml said, "I feel that it still has to do with some expectations and it does not totally reflect the political situation." STEM's poll gave the Freedom Union 5 per cent more than the poll of the Institute for Public Opinion Research (IVVM), and it also affirmed the support for the Social Democrats, who had shown a 4-per-cent decline in IVVM's poll. The encouraging poll results for the Freedom Union opened a new wave of discussions over possible post-election coalitions. The Freedom Union is calling on other right-wing parties to look for common ground, and it is also open to cooperation with ODS. Zeman rejects any coalition with Ruml's Freedom Union because he said he considers the party a mere spinoff of ODS. ODS is prepared to join a post-election coalition with the Christian Democrats, but without their chairman, Agriculture Minister Josef Lux. ODS Chairman Vaclav Klaus said, "If this cooperation would mean cooperating directly with Mr. Lux, that is a different question." Although ODA has lost many of its politicians and has 1 per cent support in the polls, it plans to take part in the elections alone and with a new program, though it does not rule out a coalition with a like-minded party. Anna Kavada/Sofia Karakeva NEWS IN BRIEF * Support for Czech NATO membership is increasing. According to the latest polls, 55.3 per cent of respondents agree with NATO membership. * Twenty-eight per cent of poll respondents are convinced they live better now than they lived under Communism. Ondrej Hanzal/Gabriela Pecic FOREIGN AFFAIRS Havel Attends UN Meeting in Geneva President Vaclav Havel attended the 54th meeting of the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva March 16. After the opening speech of UN General Secretary Kofi Annan, the Czech president had the honor to present his speech first from the 53 represented member countries. Havel said in his speech that a politician is always confronted with conflict between human rights and economic and political interests. He said economists often think that a "small disregard for human rights" can bring big profits. "This is not true, and they do not even see the tip of their own nose. The suppression of human rights leads, as our country experienced, also to economic decline," said Havel. David Kozohorsky/Sofia Karakeva Tosovsky Helps Establish European Conference in London Representatives of 26 countries from the EU and the former Eastern Bloc met in London March 12 to declare war against the distribution of drugs and to discuss the environment. For this purpose, the European conference was established, and from now on European problems should be resolved at its standing discussion forum. One of the first discussion topics was organized crime in Eastern Europe. Czech Prime Minister Josef Tosovsky said after the conference, "The Czech Republic and other Central and Eastern European countries are a little bit predisposed to the nesting of organized crime. These countries were closed, and now their borders have opened. Just in the Czech Republic, we have 10 times more visitors annually than we have citizens ... Organized groups engaged in drugs and weapons trafficking, car and art thefts and money laundering are operating in our country." The first stir occurred after the absence of Turkey was announced. Turkey was not placed among the frontrunners for EU membership and decided to boycott the conference. David Kozohorsky/Denisa Vitkova Former Dissident Becomes UN Correspondent Jiri Dienstbier, former foreign minister of Czechoslovakia, became the UN's special correspondent for the countries of the former Yugoslavia. His task will be to verify the upholding of human rights in Bosnia, Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia, including the troubled southern province of Kosovo. Dienstbier, who also served as chairman of the Conference for Security and Cooperation in Europe, will replace Elisabeth Rehn, the former defense minister of Finland. The well-known Czech dissident Dienstbier signed Charter 77 and after the events of 1989 became a leader of the ruling Civic Movement (OH) and then led the unsuccessful coalition of the Free Democrats and the Liberal Social National Party (SD-LSNS). Anna Kadavova/Matej Cerny FROM SLOVAKIA Meciar Rejects Havel's Criticism of Slovakia and Questions Havel's Rule "The way in which the election of President Havel was conducted has raised doubts on our side, because the vote was decided by a single vote," said Slovak Premier Vladimir at a press conference after the European Conference in London. "The bearer of this vote was kept in prison at the time of the election and released afterwards. Had it happened in Slovakia, what kind of response would it evoke?" asked Meciar. His statement was underlined by the vice chairwoman of the government coalition Slovak National Party (SNS), who said on the following day that Havel has no moral right to deliver such harsh criticism of Slovakia in connection with decisions made by Meciar after his government received certain presidential powers (See Carolina 279, 280). Pavel Turek/Ivona Pulkrabkova Actor Jozef Kroner Dies In the morning hours of March 12 actor Jozef Kroner died, eight days before his 74th birthday. One of the most significant Slovak actors, Kroner succumbed to a grave illness. From his amateur beginnings and his first lasting engagement, in Martin after 1948, he was well known, particularly for his roles as old men. On the stage of the Slovak National Theatre and in film he presented many unforgettable roles. Kroner worked with Juraj Jakubisko (The Thousand-Year-Old Bee) and the team of Jan Kadar and Elmar Klos in their Oscar-winning A Store on the Boulevard (Obchod na korze), where Kroner unforgettably played the lead role of Brtka. Pavel Turek/Gabriela Pecic Slovak Ice Hockey Federation Chairman Dusan Pasek Found Dead Dusan Pasek, former captain of the Czechoslovak hockey team and member of the 1985 World Championships winners who had been serving since December 1 as chairman of the Slovak ice hockey federation, was found dead in his office on the morning of March 15, shot through the head. Because police found the gun close to the body as well as farewell letters, the public was informed that the 37-year-old Pasek committed suicide. Possible motives could have been relationship problems, business failures or perhaps a role in privatization scandals, according to the March 16 edition of Czech daily Lidove noviny. The last motive was raised in connection with Pasek's dealings with Slovak National Assembly Chairman Ivan Gasparovic (Movement for a Democratic Slovakia, HZDS). Former teammate Jiri Hrdina said, "I thought that he was a self-confident and balanced person who had a career ahead of him." Milan Eisenhammer/Ajla Zinhasovic ECONOMY European Union Retaliates The European Union's Council of Ministers March 17 abolished customs privileges on the import of pork, chicken and fruit juices from the Czech Republic. The customs duties on these product had been 20 per cent of the usual rate for pork and chicken and 48 per cent of the rate for fruit juices. The action was taken in retaliation for the Czech quota on the import of EU apples. Agriculture Minister Josef Lux (Christian Democratic) said, "considering the extent of the damage to the Czech market and the growers and processers of apples, it was a forced move to protect the market. The EU sanctions are, however, inappropriate and unjust." Trade Minister Karel Kuhnl (former Civic Democratic Alliance member now cooperating with the Freedom Union) said, "What the EU intends to do is completely inadequate, because the dramatically increased import of apples into our country truly affected our producers, while the imports in question from our country to the EU do not affect the EU market at all." Both sides maintain their positions and say even from the point of view of the EU Maastricht Treaty their actions are appropriate. Czech ambassador to the EU Josef Kreuter said "the EU's move could be expected, despite being inappropriate." According to Kreuter, the EU adopted a position used in acute crises. Prokop Havel/Matej Cerny Exchange Rates at the Czech National Bank (valid from March 20) country currency ------------------------------------------ Australia 1 AUD 22.592 Belgium 100 BEF 90.167 Great Britain 1 GBP 56.673 Denmark 1 DKK 4.879 ECU 1 XEU 36.927 Finland 1 FIM 6.130 France 1 FRF 5.555 Ireland 1 IEP 46.677 Italy 1000 ITL 18.882 Japan 100 JPY 26.196 Canada 1 CAD 23.995 Luxemburg 100 LUF 90.167 IMF 1 XDR 45.720 Hungary 100 HUF 16.120 Netherlands 1 NLG 16.504 Norway 1 NOK 4.475 New Zealand 1 NZD 19.201 Poland 1 PLN 9.853 Portugal 100 PTE 18.178 Austria 1 ATS 2.644 Greece 100 GRD 10.526 Germany 1 DEM 18.600 Slovakia 100 SKK 96.735 Slovenia 100 SIT 19.923 Spain 100 ESP 21.924 Sweden 1 SEK 4.273 Switzerland 1 CHF 22.812 USA 1 USD 34.011 CULTURE Theater Critics Give Awards for 1997 The Alfred Radok Award for the best staging of the year and the attendant laurel wreath were given to Petr Lebl from Prague's Theater on the Balustrade (Divadlo na zabradli) for Anton Chekhov's Ivanov. Lebl received the trophy for the second time (the first time in 1994 for Chekhov's The Seagull). Culture Minister Martin Stropnicky presented the award and he delighted the audience with an improvised rendition of the song Cajdak, accompanied by his former colleagues, the actors Jan Jiran and Marek Eben. The sixth-annual ceremony took place March 13 in Prague's Ypsilon Theater. The award for best actress was given to Lucie Trmikova for her role in the drama Terezka in Prague's Comedy Theater (Divadlo Komedie); Terezka also was voted drama of the year. The award for the best actor was given to Miroslav Taborsky for his performance in The End of Carnival in Prague's Dlouha Street Theater (Divadlo v Dlouhe). Theater on the Balustrade was voted theater troupe of the year. Josef Svoboda received an award for his scenery for Faust, directed by Otomar Krejca in the National Theater in Prague. A sixth award was given in a new category, other artistic performance, and went posthumously to Jiri Bulis for the music in Arnost Goldflam's The Cursed (Proklatec). This year there was no award given for talent of the year, although critics voted Petra Spalkova, of Prague's Drama Club (Cinoherni klub), as the year's top performer. The pearl of the night was the award for the best actor in a female role, given to Jiri Pecha for playing the grandmother in Bozena Nemcova's Grandmother, staged by the Goose on a Leash Theater (Divadlo Husa na provazku). Forty-three original plays competed for the last trophy - the Alfred Radok Foundation's award for best play. The award was given to Jiri Pokorny, director of the Drama Studio (Cinoherni studio) in Usti nad Labem, for his drama Daddy Shoots Goals (Tatka strili goly). Karolina Kucerova/Denisa Vitkova SPORTS Paralympic Athletes Bring Home Seven Medals Visually disabled skier Katerina Tepla brought home three gold medals and one silver from the Nagano Paralympic Games. After wins in the giant slalom and super-G and a second place in the downhill, Tepla won the slalom race despite having to ski the last five gates of the first round alone after a mistake by her father and guide Pavel Teply. Like in the giant slalom, Czech Sabina Rogie finished second with her guide Michal Karasek. After the Czech athletes arrived home from the Nagano Paralympics, they were invited by President Vaclav Havel just like their colleagues from the Nagano Olympics. All six athletes received presidential commemorative medals just like gold ice-hockey players and skier Katerina Neumannova before. "I am much more proud of you and the medals you brought because you had to overcome yourself to win them. You are examples for all the rest of us," Havel said. Gabriela Podzimkova and David Kozohorsky/Mirek Langer Hockey: Pardubice and Slavia Fill out Eight Teams in Playoffs The hockey extraleague regular season finished with an exciting fight to make the playoffs. In the 50th round, Slavia Praha maintained its seventh-place standing with a tie in Vsetin. Pardubice then moved into eighth place, the final spot for advancing into the playoffs, by defeating Plzen. David Moravec of Vitkovice tallied the most points for the regular season. For the first time in the independent Czech league, an average of more than 5,000 fans attended every game. Nagano Olympics medalist and Slavia Praha forward Vladimir Ruzicka finished a year full of records, recording his 400th goal in league, his 500th goal in league and national team matches and his 600th match in league. Results of the 50th round: Pardubice - Litvinov 3-2, Kladno - Ceske Budejovice 1-4, Plzen - Opava 2-2, Vitkovice - Karlovy Vary 4-2, Trinec - Jihlava 3-3, Sparta Praha - Zlin 4-2, Vsetin - Slavia Praha 5-5. Results of the 51st round: Zlin - Vsetin 1-5, Litvinov - Sparta Praha 3-0, Opava - Pardubice 3-1, Karlovy Vary - Jihlava 2-4, Slavia Praha - Kladno 6-1, Ceske Budejovice - Vitkovice 1-4, Plzen - Trinec 4-6. Results of the 52nd round: Pardubice - Plzen 5-2, Jihlava - Ceske Budejovice 5-2, Vsetin - Litvinov 4-2, Vitkovice - Slavia Praha 6-4, Trinec - Karlovy Vary 7-6, Kladno - Zlin 4-3, Sparta Praha - Opava 5-1. Standings: 1. HC Petra Vsetin 72 pts. 2. HC Vitkovice 69 pts. 3. HC Zelezarny Trinec 69 pts. 4. HC Sparta Praha 64 pts. 5. HC Keramika Plzen 59 pts. 6. HC Slavia Praha 56 pts. 7. HC Chemopetrol Litvinov 56 pts. 8. HC IPB Pojistovna Pardubice 52 pts. 9. HC Dukla Jihlava 51 pts. 10. HC Ceske Budejovice 48 pts. 11. HC ZPS Barum Zlin 48 pts. 12. HC Velvana Kladno 32 pts. 13. HC Becherovka Karlovy Vary 30 pts. 14. HC Bohemex Trade Opava 22 pts. Playoff quarterfinals pairings: Vsetin - Pardubice, Sparta Praha - Plzen, Trinec - Slavia Praha and Vitkovice - Litvinov. Ondrej Hanzal/Mirek Langer Sparta Leads Soccer League Despite Bad Play and Unhappy Fans Last season's champion Sparta Praha has not lost a point in the spring session of the soccer league and, after defeating last-place Bohdanec 1-0, it has a 10-point lead in the standings. However, many fans left the match before the end and those who stayed booed the players off the field because of their poor play. Second-place Slavia Praha, the last Czech team in the European Cups, increased its cushion over third place to seven points by defeating Hradec 1-0. The next five teams, with nearly identical records, are playing for spots in next season's European Cups. Ceske Budejovice lost in Olomouc on a penalty kick in extra time and fell into 15th place, and, together with Bohdanec, is facing a possible fall into the second league. Results of the 19th round: Plzen - Dukla 4-3, Opava - Drnovice 3-0, Jablonec - Liberec 2-1, Sparta Praha - Bohdanec 1-0, Hradec Kralove - Slavia Praha 0-1, Brno - Ostrava 2-0, Teplice - Zizkov 0-1, Olomouc - Ceske Budejovice 1-0. Milan Eisenhammer/Mirek Langer Tennis Union General Meeting Cannot Elect New President After five rounds of voting, the 120 delegates of the Czech Tennis Union failed to elect a new president for the next four years. Former Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus came closest, missing nine votes from a majority. Representatives of the union managed to choose only a new date for the next election. Acting President and 1973 Wimbledon champion Jan Kodes will remain president until April 29. Gabriela Podzimkova/Mirek Langer SPORTS IN BRIEF * Petr Korda failed in his attack on the number-one spot in the ATP world rankings. He did not take advantage of Pete Sampras' flop in Indian Wells and lost in the quarterfinal to Chile's Marcelo Rios 4-6 and 2-6. Korda's last chance comes in the next tournament in Key Biscane. * The Czech women's handball national team lost in the European Championships' preliminary round to Hungary 16-28 and remains in last place, without a point. * Skiing freestyle jumper Ales Valenta, fourth in the Nagano Olympics, finished fifth in the World Cup final in Altenmarkt, Austria. He is also fifth in the final standings of the Cup, the best finish by a European. Gabriela Podzimkova and David Kozohorsky/Mirek Langer After deadline: Slavia Praha lost in Stuttgart 0-2 in the quarterfinals of the Cup Winners Cup and was eliminated. WEATHER Two weeks ago I rushed to the Carolina newsroom in a sweaty shirt, but I spent today, as well as all of last week, muffled in a winter coat. The grass is green already but apparently regrets its hastiness. Winter is back, though, with a bit of hyperbole, we could say it is finally here. Ski-lift operators are cranking up their rusty ski-tows, while the teeth of our displeased fellow citizens chatter away. Ominous clouds are cruising the sky and occasionally releasing some snow. It seems that the weather forecast has been the same for weeks. According to the calendar, however, the next Carolina should be issued in spring. Ales Bartl/Ivona Pulkrabkova 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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