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 THE CZECH REPUBLIC Charles University in Prague Faculty of Social Sciences Smetanovo nabr. 6 110 01 Prague 1 Czech Republic e-mail: CAROLINA@mbox.fsv.cuni.cz tel: (+4202) 22112252, fax: (+4202) 24810987 *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* C A R O L I N A No 347, Friday, October 15, 1999. FROM THE EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK (October 6 - October 13) Civic Democratic Party Demands Changes The Opposition Contract, signed between the ruling Social Democrats and the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) after last elections, is probably jeopardized for the first time in its fifteen months lasting history. After the ODS leadership session October 8, party and Chamber of Deputies Chairman Vaclav Klaus criticized the Social Democrat Government for the country's economic situation. "We are convinced that the time has come for a serious turnaround and thus we call on the Social Democrats to negotiate according to Article 10 of the Opposition Agreement." Article 10 says that amicable negotiations should begin if one party believes the agreement is not being fulfilled. Prime Minister Milos Zeman threatened three ministers with recall during the weekend - Deputy Prime Minister Egon Lansky, Deputy Prime Minister Jaroslav Basta and Regional Development Minister Jaromir Cisar. After meeting with President Havel October 10, Klaus said the ministers' exit would not be enough, because ODS wants not just "cosmetic changes, but unexpected and non-standard negotiations with unexpected alternatives." Havel said he would be "a friend of change, if it leads to an improvement." ODS Vice Chairmam Miloslav Benes October 11 floated the idea of a government comprised of all parties except the Communists. ODS parliamentary club Chairman Vlastimil Tlusty said there must be at least significant changes in the Government, but he would prefer the creation of a new government. The Social Democrats declared that its representatives are ready, if ODS withdraws from the Opposition Contract, to negotiate with all other parties except the Communists to form a new government. Michaela Kleckova/Jakub Jirovec Dzurinda Negotiates with Zeman about Property Division Slovak Premier Mikulas Dzurinda arrived October 7 for an official two-day visit of the Czech Republic. Probably the most important part of his negotiations with Czech Prime Minister Milos Zeman were problems concerning the division of the property of the former Czechoslovakia. The statesmen arranged the exchange of Commercial Bank (Komercni banka) and Universal Credit Bank shares, which will go to the national property funds of both countries. Dzurinda was later criticized by the Slovak opposition, which claimed the shares of Commercial Bank are worth more. The negotiations were successful and the division should be completed according to last year's agreement, i.e., by the end of November. Andrea Slovakova/Jakub Jirovec Intellectuals Meet Again in Prague at Forum 2000 For the third time intellectuals from throughout the world met at the Forum 2000 conference in Prague Castle October 10-13, where they discussed the hopes and dangers for humanity entering the new millenium. Czech President Vaclav Havel's invitation to the Forum was accepted by more than 50 personalities, among the Forum co-leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel, former South African President Frederick Willem de Klerk, Polish journalist Adam Michnik and Russian legislator and human-rights advocate Sergei Kovalyov. "All of them here will debate in a friendly and informal atmosphere the problems of our civilization," said Havel in his opening speech. Forum 2000 was joined by the Student Forum, where young people from all over the world discussed the problems under consideration in the larger Forum. Some students also took part in panel discussions with the personalities of the Forum. This year's conference was once again organized by the Japanese Nippon Foundation, led by financier and philanthropist Yohei Sasakawa. In his speech Sasakawa emphasized the importance of spreading the ideas of the forum to other parts of the world. "The world is one family and all its inhabitants are brothers and sisters," said Sasakawa of the credo of his father. "Traditional politics, which formed over centuries, is no longer suitable for the world. It is necessary to develop international cooperation and new political thought," said Kovalyov. Tomas Havlin, Jan Vedral, Jr./Sofia Karakeva Czech Politicians and Forum 2000 "I haven't directly had the opportunity to acquaint myself with the results, but I've heard they aren't very specific. They should select one or two topics and finish them off." - Jan Kasal, chairman of the Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL). "The results are nil. For this conference to have any raison d'etre, it would have to be based on the ability to build a project which could be analyzed and criticized. The man who chaired the Forum, the man who made an opening address is not capable of managing any such project." - Miloslav Ransdorf, vice chairman of the Communists (KSCM). "These forums always risk not having any benefit at all. I value this conference as an attempt. The results can't be estimated yet." - Vladimir Spidla, Vice-Chairman of the ruling Social Democrats (CSSD). "Of course, the conference can be an inspiration for intellectuals. These people's discussions and their mutual influence might even change their actions when they return home." - Vladimir Mlynar, Freedom Union (US). "Each human society needs visions, however far removed they are from reality. Although we might have to question the feasibility of the opinions of the participants of the forum, it is good at least to consider them." - Ivan Langer, vice chairman of the Civic Democratic Party (ODS). European Commission Criticizes Czech Republic's Preparations for EU The European Commission's annual report on the preparations of EU candidate countries for joining the European Union, released in Brussels October 13, is one of the hottest topics in the Czech media. The report criticizes the Czech Republic for the same problems the EU has followed since 1997: EU legislation has not been adopted, laws differing from EU norms are being accepted, the reform of the state administration is not taking place and the judicial system is an embarrassment. Other problems include the poor standard of living of the Romany minority, financial crime and unfinished privatization. Commissar for EU Expansion Gunter Verheugen said he does not want the report to harm Zeman's Government. It is, however, probable that the report will lead to changes in the Cabinet, with the most likely casualty being Deputy Prime Minister Egon Lansky, who is responsible for the country's integration into the EU. Tereza Tesarikova/Sofia Karakeva Visa Requirements Change The Social Democrat Cabinet is taking a very careful stand in granting visas for citizens of countries which need visas to enter countries of the EU. So far, the Cabinet has decided to require visas for Cuba, North Korea and Cambodia. Prime Minister Milos Zeman confirmed the Cabinet has not introduced visa requirements for Russia and Belarus so as not to damage trade relations with the countries. The same reasoning holds for the exemption granted to Chinese holders of diplomatic, official and special passports. The Cabinet is to discuss potential visa requirements for other former Soviet republics, particularly Ukraine, by the end of the year. The Interior Ministry said it was necessary to control the movement of foreigners in the Czech Republic because of experiences with Ukrainians working illegally here. The ministry would like to harmonize Czech visa policy with that of EU countries as dictated by the Schengen Agreement. Jan Skala/Petra Kovacova NEWS IN BRIEF * The Chamber of Deputies October 12 passed into a second reading amendments to the Criminal Code extending the statute of limitations for some crimes related to the former communist regime. The amendments enable the prosecution of some crimes for which the statute of limitations expires at the end of 1999. However, the deputies agree that some passages must be adjusted. Petra Kovacova/Denisa Vitkova * The Chamber of Deputies October 12 tabled for the second time a bill on registered partnerships for homosexuals. The bill would allow homosexual partnerships to have a similar legal weight to civil marriages. The bill's opponents succeeded in returning it to committees for further discussion. The bill will be discussed at the Chamber of Deputies meeting in December. Gabriela Bobkova/Denisa Vitkova * Trade Minister Miroslav Gregr abandoned his proposal to honor Chinese ambassador to Prague Jen Pcheng with the state medal the Order of the White Lion. The main reason against awarding the highest state medal is the human rights breaking in China. Senate Chairwoman Libuse Benesova of the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) said she considers Gregr's suggestion a diplomatic faux-pas. She said the proposal should have been presented to the Government first and then to the public. Chamber of Deputies Chairman Vaclav Klaus (ODS) also criticized the proposal on behalf of the chamber. Gabriela Bobkova/Ondrej Maly * A French Mirage 2000 fighter plane crashed on the evening of October 12 at the air force base in Caslav. It is the first crash of a foreign military aircraft in the Czech Republic in the last 10 years. For as yet unknown reasons, the pilot abandoned the plane in front of the runway just before landing. The pilot managed to eject in time and was unhurt. The aircraft was completely destroyed. Ondrej Maly/Ondrej Maly FROM SLOVAKIA Hillary Clinton in Bratislava American first lady and Senate candidate for New York state Hillary Clinton visited the Slovak capital city of Bratislava October 6 for the first time in three years. After meeting with President Rudolf Schuster and Premier Mikulas Dzurinda, she expressed her support for Slovak ambitions to join the EU and NATO, and emphasized that ethnic groups should participate in public life. She also supported the efforts of the Slovak Government to improve their relations with Hungary and she praised the project for reconstruction of a bridge between Slovakia's Sturovo and Hungary's Ostrihom. Clinton met with representatives of 18 non-governmental organizations and complimented Eye 98 (Oko 98), their project for the public monitoring of elections. Clinton, whose visit to Bratislava lasted 5 hours, said her husband will visit Slovakia next year. Nikoleta Alivojvodic/Veronika Hankusova ECONOMY South African Breweries Buy Biggest Czech Breweries South African Breweries (SAB) became the new owner of the Czech breweries Pilsner Urquell (Plzensky Prazdroj) and Radegast. The sale of the year for the Czech brewery market took place unexpectedly October 6. The Japanese investment bank Nomura will receive for its 51-per-cent share in the company Czech beer (Ceske pivo) 629 million USD (the equivalent of about 23 billion crowns) in two roughly equal payments. SAB is to receive the rest of the shares in Czech Beer by July 2001. By acquiring the Czech breweries, SAB became the world's third-largest beer producer. In the contract, SAB promised that Pilsner Urquell will replace Castle as SAB's flagship brand for the world. SAB has plans to expand into the German, British and American markets. Iva Potrebova, Jakub Trnka/Denisa Vitkova Czech Mobil Receives License According to the contract signed by Czech Mobil, which won the recent tender for the Czech Republic's third mobile-phone license, and the Transportation Ministry October 12, Czech Mobil cannot merge with any competing telecommunications company for three years. However, the contract does not deal with some of the most important factors leading to Czech Mobil's victory in the tender, such as price and quality. The Canadian telecommunications company TIW owns 51 per cent of Czech Mobil, and the Czech Investment and Postal Bank (IPB) owns 49 per cent. In three months, Czech Mobil must start providing service and its satellite coverage must exceed 37 per cent of the country's territory. Czech Mobil will pay 1 billion crowns for the license. The contract also contains high fines for non-fulfillment by Czech Mobil. Jaroslav Svelch/Zuzana Janeckova Czech Insurance Company Loses Monopoly on Liability Insurance The Finance Ministry issued licenses to provide liability insurance to six insurance companies October 11: the Czech-Austrian Insurance Company, The Hop Growers' Insurance Company (Chmelarska pojistovna), Allianz, Kooperativa, the Commercial Insurance Company and the Czech Insurance Company, which previously had a monopoly position. Motorists will now have the chance to choose the provider of their legally required liability insurance. Prices for liability insurance were not disclosed but a significant price decrease is not expected, because there is an official minimum price until 2002. Providers, however, will be offering many additional services to attract customers. According to the law, the deadline for car owners to get liability insurance is December 31. If they do not, they could be fined up to 20,000 crowns or have their driver's license suspended. Radka Kohutova/Simon Dominik Kozeny Calls on Zeman to Intercede in Baku Some Czech newspapers are claiming that clients of the liquidated Harvard Industrial Holding who sold their shares back to Harvard founder Viktor Kozeny and who should receive 12,000 crowns for the shares by the end of the year, might not get their money. The reason is that Kozeny might not have enough money. Kozeny, the Czech-born Bahamian resident with an Irish passport, invested some of his reputed fortune of 15 billion crowns in the Azerbaijani version of voucher privatization. Azerbaijan President Gejdar Alijev, however, changed the format of privatization last fall - there has been a delay in the distribution of the shares, and some of the most significant companies will probably not be privatized using the voucher method. Kozeny owns about 10 per cent of all vouchers, but now can do almost nothing with them. Therefore, Kozeny asked Czech Prime Minister Milos Zeman to intercede on Kozeny's behalf with President Alijev. Kozeny evidently wants Zeman to lobby for his investments. According to experts quoted in the daily Lidove noviny, the Azerbaijani Government is hesitant to let Kozeny, who has the reputation of a merciless shark, own one-tenth of the country's economy. Martin Rusek/Simon Dominik INVEX - Looking-Glass into the next Millenium About 920 participants from 18 countries attended the 9th International Information and Telecommunications Technology Fair (INVEX) in Brno September 4-8. The fair was opened by a round-table discussion called The Czech Republic on the Road toward the Information Society. In the debate, Finance Minister Pavel Mertlik said transparency and access to information are vital preconditions for cultivating the business climate in the Czech Republic, according to the daily MF DNES. That is the reason why the Government, after making the Commercial Register (www.justice.cz) and the Small Business Register (wwwinfo.mfcr.cz) accessible via the Internet, will also make the Land Register available next year. INVEX-Computer '99 attempted to serve as more than a meeting place for a narrow circle of experts and IT engineers. The program Come to the Future was open to anyone who wanted to learn something new about multimedia, internet, DVD or computer games. Dita Eckhardtova/Milan Smid ECONOMY IN BRIEF * The September rate of unemployment in the Czech Republic did not change in comparison to August's numbers and remained at 9 per cent. According to economists, the stability is temporary and the rate should reach 10 per cent in the next few months. Petra Kovacova/Simon Dominik Exchange Rates at the Czech National Bank (valid October 15) -------------------------------------------------------------- 1 EUR = 37.015 country currency CZK ------------------------------------------ Australia 1 AUD 22.259 Great Britain 1 GBP 56.879 Denmark 1 DKK 4.982 Japan 100 JPY 32.114 Canada 1 CAD 23.159 IMF 1 XDR 47.652 Hungary 100 HUF 14.321 Norway 1 NOK 4.442 New Zealand 1 NZD 17.480 Poland 1 PLN 8.439 Greece 100 GRD 11.036 Slovakia 100 SKK 83.824 Slovenia 100 SIT 18.801 Sweden 1 SEK 4.231 Switzerland 1 CHF 23.268 USA 1 USD 34.351 Exchange Rates of countries participating in the euro (converted from the euro rate) country currency CZK ----------------------------------------- Germany 1 DEM 18.925 Belgium 100 BEF 91.758 Finland 1 FIM 6.225 France 1 FRF 5.643 Ireland 1 IEP 46.999 Italy 1000 ITL 19.117 Luxemburg 100 LUF 91.758 Netherlands 1 NLG 16.797 Portugal 100 PTE 18.643 Austria 1 ATS 2.690 Spain 100 ESP 22.246 CULTURE Slovak Opera in Prague After four years, the Slovak National Theater's opera performed in Prague's National Theater with a gala concert of famous arias by Slovak opera singers October 12. The next day, they performed the little-known opera Mephistopheles by Arrigo Boito, in which the title role was performed by Peter Mikulas, although the biggest star of the two nights was Peter Dvorsky. Cooperation between the two countries' national theaters resumed after Juraj Hrubant returned as head of the opera in Slovakia. Hrubant and Slovak National Theater Director Dusan Jamrich had been fired by the previous Government of former Premier Vladimir Meciar. Cooperation will continue, as the Czechs' National Theater is to perform in Bratislava this weekend and more performances there are planned for next year. The political leaders of both countries, Milos Zeman (the Czech Republic) and Mikulas Dzurinda (Slovakia), are planning to see some Slovak operas in Prague together. Alzbeta Trousilova/Zuzana Janeckova Mensik Museum Opens in Ivancice On October 9, admirers of the outstanding actor and narrator Vladimir Mensik could celebrate the gala opening of the Vladimir Mensik Museum in Ivancice, his hometown. Besides a statue of the actor and the suit he wore at his wedding, visitors can also see many photographs and documents relating to Mensik's life. The museum is located on Palacky Square (Palackeho namesti) in Ivancice and is open daily. Mensik (born October 9, 1929 in Ivancice, died May 29, 1988 in Brno) acted for a short time in the D 34 Theater in Prague. Later he gained fame acting in more than 150 movies, including Milos Forman's Loves of a Blonde (Lasky jedne plavovlasky), Lemonade Joe (Limonadovy Joe), All the Good Natives (Vsichni dobri rodaci), The Fall of Icarus (Ikaruv pad), Migratory Birds (Tazni ptaci), The Cottagers (Chalupari) and The Visitors (Navstevnici). Thanks to his outstanding ability for improvisation, he also became a television star on live programs. Jaroslav Sauer/Jaroslav Sauer Flight of the Kosovo Refugees Wins Czech Press Photo Competition Reflex magazine was the most successful periodical in the 5th year of the Czech Press Photo competition. Reflex photographer Jan Sibik was the competition's biggest winner, taking the first four places. This year, Sibik took pictures in Rumania, Turkey and Kosovo. His photo Flight of the Kosovo Refugees won the award as Picture of the Year 1999. The international jury selected from 2,321 pictures from 178 photographers living in the Czech Republic or Slovakia. The exhibit will be open from November 11 till January 15 in the Old Town Hall in Prague, and prize-winning photographs are posted on the web at www.idnes.cz and www.ceskenoviny.cz. Marika Pechackova/Daniela Vrbova Martin Meiner in Rudolfinum An exhibit of the work of Martin Meiner opened a year of Czech art at Prague's Rudolfinum Art Gallery October 7. The large exhibit of the Prague artist, who has returned to the Czech Republic after a year and a half abroad, focuses on Meiner's works from the last two years. The exhibit will last until November 28. Meiner, born in 1959, first made his talent known during his studies at Academy of Fine Arts (AVU) in Prague, from which he graduated in 1985. In 1994 Meiner won the Jindrich Chalupecky Award, which provided him a scholarship in the Headlands Center for the Arts in California. His stay in America finished with a one-man exhibit. Veronika Hankusova/Veronika Hankusova SPORTS Velka Pardubicka: Second Consecutive Win for Peruan One horse ruled the fabled Velka Pardubicka steeplechase for the second year in a row. Peruan, an 11-year-old bay from the horse-racing center in Zamrsk, resisted the pressure of competition from Great Britain and Ireland and in the finish defeated the favorite, Ireland's Risk of Thunder. After 11 years Peruan became the first horse to win two consecutive Velka Pardubicka. Risk of Thunder with jockey Ken Wheelan led the race from the start. Wheelan replaced jockey Ruby Walsh, who had broken a leg in an earlier race. "I had no problems with it, I know Risk well, I won several races with him," said Wheelan. Risk of Thunder is owned by Hollywood star Sean Connery. Peruan, under jockey Zdenek Matysik the biggest Czech hope, did not run rashly past Risk of Thunder, but cut into Risk's lead gradually and took the lead in the middle of the race. The other horses could not keep up with the Czech-Irish couple and in the last turn a dramatic sprint to the finish began. Peruan pulled away from Risk at the last jump and won to a standing ovation. "At the beginning of the homestretch I was almost sure we would beat Risk of Thunder," Matysik said. In next year's 110th Velka Pardubicka Peruan might try to win for the third time in a row. Only the legendary Korok, Peruan's grandfather, has managed that feat. David Luksu/Mirek Langer Winning Coda after Great Trip through Qualification In the last game of the Euro 2000 qualification, the Czech soccer team met the Faroe Islands team in Prague October 9. The Czechs were not struggling to advance - they were assured of that in June. However, they wanted to win all 10 games of the qualification round, which no one had managed to do. In the 11th minute Jan Koller received a deflected ball and scored, but then the Czech players rested on their laurels. The Faroe Islands' breaks were dangerous, in particular the quick T. Jonsson was very good - his shot in the 51st minute hit the Czech crossbar. In the 60th minute, Patrik Berger and Thorsteinsson were sent off after a scrap. At the end, the Czech team started playing well again and substitute Pavel Verbir scored his first goal for the national team and the Czech Republic won 2-0. Dita Kristanova/Mirek Langer Hockey Extraleague: Slavia and Sparta Sack Their Coaches The coaches of both Prague teams were fired after the 11th round of the hockey extraleague. Slavia's Vladimir Caldr was fired October 9 after a bad performance by his team in a game against Ceske Budejovice, and club management also announced some trades. Caldr was replaced by former Litvinov coach Josef Beranek. Two players came to Slavia October 11: Vitezslav Skuta from Jyvaskyla (Finland) and Pavel Geffert from Pilsen (Plzen). Sparta has not been playing as well as was expected, either. After a home loss to Kladno 2-4 (its first since 1995), coach Pavel Richter was replaced by assistent Frantisek Vyborny. Reigning champion Vsetin lost in Plzen 1-7. Vsetin's new Russian player Vitaly Karamnov, a former Russian national team member and player for the NHL's St. Louis Blues, debuted in the game. Havirov won its first game in the league, and although it was behind 0-2 back in Znojmo it managed to turn the score around to 6-2. Trinec managed to do the same thing against Plzen - it won 4-3 after a 0-3 deficit, thanks especially to Jozef Dano's hat trick. Zlin has started a new streak: it has not allowed a goal at home for four games. Results of the 10th round: Slavia Praha - Ceske Budejovice 2-3, Plzen - Vsetin 7-1, Zlin - Trinec 3-0, Vitkovice - Pardubice 0-4, Karlovy Vary - Sparta Praha 4-5, Kladno - Litvinov 1-2, Znojmo - Havirov 3-6. Results of the 11th round: Vsetin - Znojmo 3-5, Havirov - Karlovy Vary 6-3, Litvinov - Slavia Praha 3-3, Pardubice - Zlin 1-4, Sparta Praha - Kladno 2-4, Ceske Budejovice - Vitkovice 4-2, Trinec - Plzen 4-3. Standings: 1. Zlin 17, 2. Plzen 16, 3. Vsetin 15, 4. Trinec 13, 5. Sparta Praha 12, 6. Pardubice 12, 7. Ceske Budejovice 12, 8. Vitkovice 10, 9. Litvinov 10, 10. Karlovy Vary 10, 11. Znojmo 9, 12. Slavia Praha 9, 13. Kladno 6, 14. Havirov 5. Darina Johanidesova/Mirek Langer SPORTS IN BRIEF * Patrik Stefan, the first pick of the NHL draft this year, made a fantastic debut: after scoring two goals, he forced Dominik Hasek, the best goalkeeper in the world, to head to the bench. The game finished in a 5-5 tie. * Only seven seconds remained until the end of the match when Michaela Vernerova recorded a koka, the smallest point value in judo, but it was very important. Vernerova, affected by a doping scandal after the European Championships in March, won the bronze medal and qualified for the Sydney Olympics. "I will fight for the medal," she said. * The Czech soccer under-21 team lost to Belgium 1-3 (halftime 0-2) in the last game of the European Championships and Olympics qualification October 21 and will meet Greece in its last qualifying-round game. * Sparta, for the first time without coach Pavel Richter, defeated the Manchester Storm in the European Hockey League. After a 1-1 tie in regulation, Sparta won a shoot-out. * The road cycling World Championships in Verona, Italy, finished with a total flop by the Czech racers. All three Czechs failed to finish the race in the elite category. Martin Moravec/Mirek Langer WEATHER For the next few days here we can expect somewhat cloudy weather with gentle showers, daytime temperatures of a few degrees higher than 10 degrees Celsius/50 degrees Fahrenheit and nighttime temperatures just below that mark. For those who enjoy bathing in the autumn waters, we can inform about temperatures in some open-air bathing places: Lipno 17 degrees of Celsium, Vranov 14 and Hracholusky 17. Have a nice bath! Petra Kovacova/Daniela Vrbova English version edited by Michael Bluhm. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- This news may be published only with attribution to CAROLINA. Subscription is free. Comments and remarks are appreciated. Please send them to the address: CAROLINA@mbox.fsv.cuni.cz To subscribe to CAROLINA news, send an e-mail message to the address LISTSERV@cesnet.cz The text of the message for subscription to the English version must be: SUBSCRIBE CAR-ENG First name Last name or for the Czech version SUBSCRIBE CAR-CS First name Last name To delete your subscription from the list of subscribers, send the following message to the address LISTSERV@cesnet.cz: SIGNOFF CAR-ENG or SIGNOFF CAR-CS We ask you not to send automatic replies to our list. 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