SURVEY OF THE PRESS IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC, 10-6-1993

by Jan Jarab

Daily newspapers surveyed (in alphabetical order): Cesky denik, Lidova demokracie, Lidove noviny, Mlada fronta dnes, Prace, Rude pravo, Svobodne slovo, Telegraf.

CESKY DENIK (right-wing, strongly anti-Communist) brings a full page interview with Macedonian President Kiro Gligorov under the title "The Ethnically Clean State Is an Anachronism". In the interview, Mr.Gligorov reminds readers of the fact that national minorities officially do not exist in Greece. He also expresses his belief that sanctions against Serbia will eventually bring an effect but in the meantime, more people will die.

LIDOVE NOVINY (liberal, formerly dissident underground paper) brings a large article on the situation in Kosovo, in which the system currently enforced in Kosovo is described as a "de facto apartheid".

MLADA FRONTA DNES (centrist, without political affiliation) informs on the first page about the Government's new anti-drug program, which was presented by the head of the Anti-Drug Comission, Dr.Kamil Kalina (a psychiatrist, member of the ruling ODS). The program outlined by Dr.Kalina concentrates on repressive measures (legalization is neither mentioned among the options nor criticized).

PRACE (trade-unionist) inform that the controversial Chief Prosecutor of the Republic, Jiri Setina - the author of the "migration law" proposal - will remain in his position until the office of the independent General Prosecutor is abolished later this year and replaced by the office of a State Prosecutor. Mr.Setina does not intend to apply for the latter office.

RUDE PRAVO (left-wing, ex-Communist) headline news informs about the decision of the Prague Magistrate which recently distributed 20 apartments to prominent politicians - including P.Cermak, the current Vice-Chairman of the ruling party, ODS - "in the interest of the city".

RUDE PRAVO (left-wing, ex-Communist) informs that the 51 operators from the nuclear power plant in Dukovany, who have submitted their resignation last week - thus initiating speculation especially in Austria about future safety of the plant - agreed after negotiations to withdraw their resignations and return to work.

RP also brings information about the report of a West German expert in the Czech Parliament about "dramatic" conditions in Czech jails. There are twice as many people in jail in the Czech Republic than in Bavaria, which is approximately equal in population, said the expert. The living conditions in custody for juvenile delinquents are described as "catastrophic", with 5-6 people crammed into a room for two.

------------------------------------------------------------------SURVEY OF SLOVAK PRESS by CTK news agency.

BRATISLAVA, June 10 (ÇTK) - Slovak newspapers today focus on

the prepared establishment of border crossings on the

Czech-Slovak border.

The trade union daily +Práca+ carries an interview with

Czech Interior Minister Jan Ruml who says that the goal of the

envisaged measure is to make possible control over the movement

of foreigners from third countries who are not allowed to cross

the border anywhere else except at border crossings.

Ruml points out that introducing a "standard administration"

on the border between the Czech and Slovak republics concerned

only nationals from other countries. "Citizens of the Czech and

Slovak republics can freely move on the whole of both republics'

territories and they can cross the border anywhere they like and

at any time," Ruml says. He adds that under the so-called

"standard administration", even if a green border was guarded by

police it would not be closed.

Regarding financial assistance Germany is expected to

provide to the Czech Republic as "compensation" for the

situation resulting from changes in the German asylum law, Ruml

says that if the Czech Republic received this money it would not

be used for the construction of the Czech-Slovak border, but to

equip border police with communications systems and cars as well

as to improve the information system by installing a series of

computers.

Ruml notes that the question of whether or not the Czech

Republic would share this money with Slovakia had not been

discussed. He believes, however, that Germany would be willing

to provide financial aid to Slovakia as well.

Ruml says the Czechs were interested in constructing border

crossings jointly with Slovakia, noting that the construction of

only one such installment might cost up to 300,000 million

crowns (approximately 10,000 million USD). "Unfortunately we

have met a lack of understanding on the Slovak side which is

forcing us to built these objects on our own," Ruml says.

The independent daily +Národná obroda+ directs its attention

to the same topic. It writes that Ruml's "strong" words about

the Czech Republic's intention to undertake unilateral steps

have not so far been backed up by activity on the Czech side.

The daily states that the Czech government has not even included

the Interior Minister's proposals in its schedule and that no

discussion of the border question is expected. A lack of

concrete actions was apparently caused by differences between

the Czech interior and foreign ministries over visa

requirements, the daily alleges.

+Slovenský deník+, close to the opposition Christian

Democratic Party, comments on current internal political

developments in Slovakia. It writes that the agreement reached

by Slovak parliamentary opposition parties on Monday concerning

the filling of high posts in the Supreme Inspection Office

actually means that the opposition would be able to exercise

control over the government, would get access to information,

and last but not least would get its share when one of the last

remaining "feeding troughs" in Slovakia is divided.

That the opposition has managed to unite on the filling of

some posts does not necessarily mean it is capable of

establishing a broader coalition government, the daily writes.

"The differences among the programmes of individual parties and

movements are so big that only if they agree on calling early

elections could a broad coalition come into being. The daily

describes the results of the opposition's talks thus far as a

rather successful effort on the part of the Democratic Left

Party (SDL) to form a kind of National Front. (The National

Front existing under the former Communist regime associated all

Czechoslovak political parties and movements as well as trade

unions and cultural and other organisations around the

Czechoslovak Communist Party-ed).

+Republica+, the Slovak News Agency (TA SR) daily, carries

an interview with Milan Stibral, newly appointed general

director of the Czech News Agency (ÇTK), who says that

cooperation between the two agencies should develop further and

that both sides should make efforts to foster it. He says the

relations between TA SR and ÇTK should be built gradually, as in

the case of relations between two countries.

The daily points out that yesterday Stibral admitted that it

was difficult for him to take a principled stand on future

cooperation between the two agencies at the moment.

vv/dr/rl