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 ISSN 121-5040 tel: (+4202) 22112252, fax: (+4202) 22112219 *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* C A R O L I N A No 373, Friday, April 28, 2000. FROM THE EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK (April 19 - April 26) Novak Trial Begins Unraveling ODS Secret Financing Former Civic Democratic Party (ODS) Vice Chairman Josef Zieleniec testified April 25, followed the next day by longtime party Chairman and former Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus in the Prague City Court. Judge Michal Hodousek called them to the stand to hear their versions of the party's dubious financing, which became public in 1996 (see Carolina 201) and led to the fall of Klaus' government in autumn 1997 (see Carolina 267). The court is trying to determine whether former ODS Executive Vice Chairman Libor Novak intentionaly attributed sponsor contributions to a larger number of fictional sponsors and thus evaded taxes. ODS received almost 15 million crowns in two donations in 1995, half from businessman and former pro tennis player Milan Srejber and half from Jarmila Mlejnkova, secretary for the 1. Silas company (see Carolina 372). The biggest breakthrough at the trial came during the testimony of ODS Vice Chairman Miroslav Macek. "In November 1997 in the ODS financial commission Libor Novak said he had been contacted by a group of businessmen from Northern Moravia and among them were people interested in the privatization of the Trinec Ironworks (Trinecke zelezarny). He told it wouldn't be appropriate to give ODS money when the government was deciding about the privatization. He advised them not to give the money or to get other people who would transfer ODS the money." Zieleniec said he knew about 7.5 million crowns attributed to Lajos Bacs (a dead Hungarian) and Radjiv Sinha (a Mauritian who never heard of ODS) and he suspected it was a front for money and connected with the ironworks. He emphasized that he told everything to Klaus in the spring of 1996. Zieleniec said he learned everything from his adviser and later ambassador to Sweden Petr Kolar, who himself learned the information from media expert Michal Kuzmiak after a meeting with Novak at ODS headquarters. Because several witnesses failed to appear, the judge postponed the trial to June 7. Martin Rusek/Ondrej Maly Government Reconstruction Done President Vaclav Havel April 26 recalled on the proposal of Prime Minister Milos Zeman two ministers and named their sucessors. Regional Development Minister Jaromir Cisar was succeeded by Social Democrat (CSSD) Vice Chairman Petr Lachnit and Transportation Minister Antonin Peltram by deputy Jaromir Schling. Both former ministers said they believe the reason for their recall was the agreement between the Social Democrats and the Civic Democratic Party (ODS). ODS supported the 2000 state budget in exchange for four changes in the government. Zeman, however, denies that was the nature of the agreement. Zeman said the changes were not forced on him by ODS, because in that case the first ministers to be recalled would have been Finance Minister Pavel Mertlik and Trade Minister Miroslav Gregr, both highly criticized by ODS. Lenka Ludvikova/Ondrej Maly Occupying Strike in Kohinoor Mine Ends Miners of the Kohinoor coal mine ended their 23-day occupying strike April 21 even though not all their demands were met. All 46 miners returned to surface that afternoon, threatened with the immediate loss of all their benefits because of a "gross violation of employee conduct" by the mine's owner - the Most Coal Company (Mostecka uhelna spolecnost, MUS). The miners' main demands - selling the mine and changes in the board of directors - were not met. Other requests were fulfilled - the mine's closing will be extended another four years (which will help half the miners, with the second half being let go by the end of this year), the miners were given a seat on the mine's board of directors and the strikers will not be punished. The Trade Ministry promised to find 600 million crowns for helping ease the effects of cutbacks at the mine. Agreements between miners and MUS contain a one-month delay on the first wave of layoffs and extra severance pay. The miners are not unanimous as to whether their protest was successful. Jakub Trnka/Veronika Hankusova Oppression Period Memorial Still Discussed Debate over creating the Memorial to the Period of Oppression 1939-1989 (Pamatnik doby nesvobody) is still filling the Czech media. The proposal of an institute for the research and documentation of the nature of totalitarian regimes was submitted by the upper chamber of the Czech Parliament - the Senate. However, the lower chamber, the Chamber of Deputies, rejected the bill April 5 on the votes of the ruling Social Democrats and the Communists, supported by several deputies of Vaclav Klaus' Civic Democratic Party (ODS). Opposition to the memorial focused on the definition of the period. Some deputies claimed the period 1945-1948 (the Communists seized control of the former Czechoslovakia in a coup in February 1948) cannot be called a period of oppression. The bill was not passed after the period between May 1945 and February 1948 was explicitely removed from the wording of the bill. Jakub Tronicek/Milan Smid FOREIGN AFFAIRS Ruml and Zantovsky March in Chernobyl Protest Senators Jan Ruml (Freedom Union, US) and Michael Zantovsky (Civic Democratic Alliance, ODA) arrived April 23 in Minsk, the Belarus capital. The Belarus opposition organized for April 26 a march to comemmorate the 14th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear power station accident, which affected a large part of Belarus. The Czech senators participated in the march, which was also used as a demonstration for Belarus independence and against the iron-handed regime of President Alexander Lukashenko. Ruml and Zantovsky also met representantives of the Helsinki Watch in Belarus and Charter 97, a pro-democratic movement inspired by the Czechoslovak Charter 77 movement. Those groups are working closely with the largest opposition party, the Belarus Popular Front. Jan Skala/Milan Smid Two Czechs Cross Atlantic on Ultralight Catamaran Sailors Martin Duchac and David Krizek arrived after an exhausting journey to the port of Le Marine on the Caribbean island of Martinique April 19. They sailed more than 6,700 kilometers in 40 days from Spanish port of Cadiz. The journey on the catamaran Sector, weighing 230 kg and seven meters long, earned the two Czechs membership in the extreme-sports club No Limits. The craft endured a few storms, one of which destroyed the rudder and forced them to use a paddle to steer the boat the last 1,000 kilometers. Michal Pospisil/Darina Johanidesova FOREIGN AFFAIRS IN BRIEF * The Czech Republic will have its own research station in Antarctica. It will be built on King George Island, where the weather is not too extreme, probably near a colony of penguins. The building will mean an investment of about 40 million crowns over five years. The station should last at least 40 years and will be used five months a year. * The Czech Republic and Thailand signed an agreement on the transfer of felons and prison cooperation. In a Thai jail sit two Czechs serving 50-year sentences for smuggling heroin. If they return to the Czech Republic, they would spend years in jail here but probably a much shorter period than in Thailand. Thailand is very strict in prosecuting drug smugglers and a 50-year sentence is moderate. David Mirejovsky/Darina Johanidesova FROM SLOVAKIA Meciar Brought by Force to Deposition A special commando from the Slovak Interior Ministry April 20 broke into the residence of former Premier Vladimir Meciar, who had for five weeks refused subpoenas to give a deposition. Meciar was first asked to testify in the case of the kidnapping of former President Michal Kovac's son. Meciar himself was then accused of giving illegal bonus payments to former members of his government. After two hours with the police, Meciar said he did not tell them anything. Justice Minister Jan Carnogursky said the raid on the Meciar's bunker was lawful. Meciar had been in a pension in Trencianske Teplice belonging to his family. About 1,500 members of Meciar's Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) demonstrated April 21 in Bratislava against the raid. Civic Democratic Party (ODS) Chairman Vaclav Klaus, a longtime Meciar supporter, said Slovakia became a less civilized country. Andrea Slovakova/Jakub Jirovec SDL' Proposes Government Reconstruction The Government coalition partner Party of the Democratic Left (SDL') Chairman Jozef Migas proposed April 20 the reconstruction of the Slovak government. Vice premiers should, according to the SDL' plan, take control of appropriate ministries. The vice premier for economy would take over the Finance Ministry, the vice premier for legislation would take over the Justice Ministry and the vice premier for European integration would lead the Foreign Ministry. Migas also proposed abolishing the Privatization Ministry. Migas, also chairman of the National Assembly, was one of the legislators who gave a vote of no-confidence to the Cabinet of Premier Mikulas Dzurinda one week earlier (see Carolina 372). Andrea Slovakova/Jakub Jirovec ECONOMY IN BRIEF * The Czech Repulic's trade deficit rose slightly. The country's deficit in March was 5.7 billion crowns, which is 5.2 billion less than in March 1999. Since the beginning of 2000 the overall deficit is 18.9 billion crowns, which is 2.1 billion crowns more than in the same period last year. Imports increased because of raw materials, especially the high price of oil. The Czech Republic also imported a significant amount of chemical products, machinery, consumer goods and foodstuffs. The last items also made up the majority of Czech exports, which headed mainly into EU countries. The trade balance with Slovakia in March was a 1.134-billion-crown surplus, since the beginning of the year the surplus is 3.526 billion crowns. Lubos Kratochvil/Simon Dominik * Czech National Bank Governor Josef Tosovsky announced April 25 that the bank is aiming for 2 per cent to 4 per cent nominal inflation by the end of 2001. Consumer prices should rise by 4.3 per cent to 5.8 per cent. Analysts say interest rates should remain at their present level. The long-term aim of the bank is nominal and total inflation between 1 per cent and 3 per cent by 2005, which represents average inflation in EU countries. * The US dollar cost 39.24 crowns April 26, yet another record high, and the crown continued to fall. The fall is caused partly by the weakening Euro and the surge of American stock markets. Prices of goods purchased by importers in dollars, such as Asian electronics and tropical fruit, will rise in the Czech Republic. Although oil prices have declined, gasoline in the Czech Republic will not be cheaper. The dollar is not expected to weaken in the foreseeable future. Jan Skala/Simon Dominik Rates at the Czech National Bank (valid April 28) -------------------------------------------------------------- 1 EUR = 36.240 country currency CZK ------------------------------------------ Australia 1 AUD 23.186 Great Britain 1 GBP 61.962 Denmark 1 DKK 4.857 Japan 100 JPY 37.019 Canada 1 CAD 26.653 IMF 1 XDR 52.214 Hungary 100 HUF 14.031 Norway 1 NOK 4.435 New Zealand 1 NZD 19.164 Poland 1 PLN 9.141 Greece 100 GRD 10.782 Slovakia 100 SKK 87.217 Slovenia 100 SIT 17.761 Sweden 1 SEK 4.425 Switzerland 1 CHF 23.023 USA 1 USD 39.342 Exchange Rates of countries participating in the euro (converted from the euro rate) country currency CZK ----------------------------------------- Germany 1 DEM 18.529 Belgium 100 BEF 89.837 Finland 1 FIM 6.095 France 1 FRF 5.525 Ireland 1 IEP 46.015 Italy 1000 ITL 18.716 Luxemburg 100 LUF 89.837 Netherlands 1 NLG 16.445 Portugal 100 PTE 18.076 Austria 1 ATS 2.634 Spain 100 ESP 21.781 CULTURE Langhans' Photo Gallery of Celebrities The exhibit Langhans' Studio in Prague's Rudolfinum presents the history of the turn of the century through photographs. Photographs of more than 100,000 people were taken in Jan Langhans' studio from 1888 - 1948. In his atelier, Langhans also created a great archive of contemporary well-known people. Although his collection was destroyed in the 50's, two years ago workers discoverd part of his archive while renovating a house in Prague's Vodickova Street. Photographs of Czech politicians (Tomas Garrigue Masaryk, Karel Kramar) and actors were discovered in 300 boxes hidden in Langhans' former studio. The pictures shown at the exhibit developed made from these original negatives by photographer Ivan Lutter. The exhibit is taking place across November 17 Street from an exhibit of the early photographs of Frantisek Drtikol in the Museum of Applied Arts. Andrea Slovakova/Zuzana Janeckova Gott Shines in Moscow, EXPO 2000 next Almost 6,000 Russian fans wildly welcomed April 22 Czech pop singer Karel Gott. Gott performed in the Kremlin Congress Palace after a 13-year absence. Crowds of female fans threw mounds of flowers on the stage and after the approximately two-hour show did not want to let him leave. Gott performed several encores, from which the most successful ones were those sung in Russian. Gott's fears before the show were unfounded. "I am returning to an audience that liked me. I'm more nervous than anywhere else, more than in (Prague's) Lucerna," he said. Before the performance in Moscow, organizers of the EXPO 2000 in Hannover confirmed April 20 that Gott will represent the Czech Republic there. "It seems that nothing is standing in the way for him singing in the EXPO Plaza June 7 on the Czech Republic's National Day," said to the daily Pravo EXPO Regional Director for Central and Eastern Europe Andrej Sarkany. Gott's performance was endangered by the fact that German organizers found out in March they did not have a hall for the concert. Gott had hesitated whether to perform, because when the idea was floated a wave of protest appeared, with Gott being called a "zombie" in one controversial editorial by Zdenek Lukes. Pavel Novotny/Veronika Hankusova SPORTS Czech Hockey Players Unconvincing before World Championship The Czech national hockey team played two friendly matches with Russia in Mlada Boleslav April 19 and in Prague April 20. Coach Josef Augusta was not excited by his team's performance: the Czechs won the first game 2-1 and lost the second one 1-3. The World Championships will start April 29 in St. Petersburg in Russia. The first game started well for the Czech team: Martin Prochazka opened the scoring on Frantisek Kucera's pass and at the beginning of the second period good teamwork by Petr Cajanek and Martin Spanhel led to the second Czech goal. Russia then started its offensive, which led to Valery Karpov's goal in 47th minute. The second game was filled with fighting. Referees sent off 25 players for almost 100 minutes of penalties. Russia took the lead in the second period with Alexei Kudashov and Karpov's goals, David Vyborny lowered to 1-2, but Russia added another goal for the final 3-1 margin. Jaroslav Sauer/Mirek Langer National Soccer Team Defeats Israel in Friendly Match Czech soccer players met Israel in Prague April 26. Coach Jozef Chovanec had one of the last chances to test his team before the upcoming Euro 2000. The Czechs won 4-1 after Pavel Nedved scored two goals and Jan Koller and Rene Wagner each added one. We will add more details in the next issue of Carolina. Only a 10-days camp in May in Austria and a friendly game against Germany June 3 remain on the national team's schedule before the championships. Jaroslav Sauer/Mirek Langer Soccer League: Unexpected Exchange in First Place In the 26th round, second-place Sparta Praha took advantage of Slavia's failure in Jablonec and after its win over Liberec it took first place in the soccer league standings. Slavia came to Jablonec with a will to win, but the home team defended tough and the game finished in a 0-0 draw. "Play in red shirts next time," shouted angry midfield player Pavel Horvath, alluding to how Jablonec helped red-clad Sparta with its performance. Sparta took the lead against Liberec on a questionable goal, scored by Horst Siegl after his teammate Lokvenc fouled Liberec's goalkeeper. Vladimir Kozuch managed to tie right away and Sparta chose an unusual tactic: it played with four forwards. Seven minutes before the end of the game Lokvenc's shot deflected off the bar and off goalkeeper Kinsky into the net. Opava scored again after 304 minutes of scorelessness at its home stadium and defeated Olomouc 3-0. Results of the 26th round: Sparta Praha - Liberec 2-1, Zizkov - Drnovice 2-0, Pribram - Bohemians Praha 3-0, Opava - Olomouc 3-0, Brno - Ostrava 2-1, Ceske Budejovice - Hradec Kralove 2-1, Teplice - Blsany 0-0, Jablonec - Slavia Praha 0-0. Standings: 1. Sparta Praha 66, 2. Slavia Praha 65, 3. Drnovice 46, 4. Brno 36, 5. Bohemians Praha 35, 6. Teplice 33, 7. Liberec 32, 8. Blsany 32, 9. Zizkov 31, 10. Ceske Budejovice 31, 11. Pribram 30, 12. Olomouc 29, 13. Ostrava 28, 14. Opava 27, 15. Jablonec 24, 16. Hradec Kralove 20. Jaroslav Sauer/Mirek Langer SPORTS IN BRIEF * Ceske Budejovice's men's volleyball players won the first extraleague championship in the club's history. They won the regular season standings and in the playoffs they defeated Perstejn 3-1 in the best-of-five series and in the final, they beat Liberec 2-0. * Frenstat won the women's volleyball extraleague, defeating Brno in the finals. Frenstat won the regular season, then defeated Stresovice and Ostrava 3-0 in best-of-five series. In the finals, Brno resisted, but Frenstat won the deciding fifth game and celebrated the title. * The Gambrinus Brno's women basketball team won the extraleague for the fifth time in a row. It did not lose a game in the league, in the semifinals it defeated Lachema Brno after three wins in best-of-five series and in the final three games were again enough for Gambrinus to beat Prerov. * The under-21 national soccer team lost in Italy 0-2 in its last preparation match before the European Championships. Alzbeta Trousilova and Dita Kristanova/Mirek Langer WEATHER Let the sun shine - the refrain from the musical Hair could have been the motto of Easter weekend. Temperatures of 25-28 degrees Celsius/77-82 degrees Fahrenheit and cloudless skies took us with a great leap into the middle of summer. Nevertheless, the village of Studnice in the Vyskov region of Moravia suffered a horrifying experience - a clash of warm and cold air caused a local tornado that destroyed in 20 minutes nearly all the roofs on the village's houses. Petra Kovacova/Milan Smid English version edited by Michael Bluhm. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- This news may be published only with attribution to CAROLINA. Subscription is free. Comments and remarks are appreciated. 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