SURVEY OF THE PRESS IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC, 18-6-1993

by Jan Jarab

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

The headlines in all Czech papers concern the first change in the Czech Government since the June 1992 elections - Premier Vaclav Klaus has finally decided to fire his Minister of Health, Dr.P.Lom, who has been frequently criticized for his failure to speed up the privatization process in the Health Care system.

CESKY DENIK (right-wing) brings a photo from yesterday's meeting between President Havel and financier-philanthropist George Soros, the founder and sponsor of Prague's Central European University (CEU). (JJ: The CEU project was started with support of the first Civic Forum Government after 1989; the Klaus Government withdrew its support in 1992. Cesky denik, which is close to the Klaus Government, has published aggressive anti-Soros editorials in the past, trying to discredit Soros by his links with Czech "leftists", i.e. former dissidents who represented the first Government after the Revolution.) According to CD, Mr.Soros announced that he will file suit against the current Czech Government for violating the agreement concerning CEU, which he intends to move the University to Budapest due to lack of cooperation on the Czech Government's side.

LIDOVA DEMOKRACIE (Catholic) specifies that Mr.Soros and Mr.Havel spoke about the possibility to have three departments and the library of the CEU directly on the Castle (the Presidential residence), while the rest of the University would move to Budapest. The Government was expected to pay the rent for the buildings of the CEU, while all other expenses are paid by Mr.Soros. However, the Government declines to pay the rent and claims it does not have a more suitable and cheaper building for the University. "This claim is absurd - there is, for instance, the building of the former Police Academy," says Soros. "Your Government is obviously not interested in the continuing presence of the CEU."

LIDOVE NOVINY (liberal, independent) reveal in an investigative report details about the case of J.Koubek, a member of the Czech Council for Radio and TV Broadcasting (an independent council entrusted with selecting candidates for radio and TV licences). Mr.Koubek is charged with demanding bribes from one of the unsuccessful competitors. (JJ: the Chairman of the Council, Mr.Korte, has resigned, claiming that the ruling party, ODS, has been putting pressure on him to influence the selection).

LN also bring an interview with James Carter, who has arrived in Prague to meet President Havel. "We can not accept that any Government in the world should promise to stop torturing its citizens when its per capita income reaches 15 000 dollars per year." The interview concentrates on the Carter Center for humanitarian activities in Georgia. "When I founded the Center, i thought it would be very small. Today we are running programs in 26 African countries...There are 32 serious wars happening now in the world, and all of them - except the one in Yugoslavia - are civil wars, in which the U.N. are unable to intervene, except for very special cases. So that's were we act and try to negotiate."

MLADA FRONTA DNES (centrist, without political affiliation) informs that the Chairman of the Czech Parliament, Milan Uhde, has refused to make public the names of deputies who imported goods from abroad without paying taxes. "Often they offered to pay but the customs officers told them they - as deputies - don't have to," says Mr.Uhde, who has recently received a list of the offenders from customs authorities. Originally, Mr.Uhde promised to make their names public.

MFD also informs that 60% of the citizens of Prague receive unrequested propagation material from various companies. (The poll was inspired by the recent scandal concerning the database of the Interior Ministry, from which personal data of more than 2,OOO,OOO citizens were sold to private companies.)

RUDE PRAVO (left-wing, ex-Communist). Headline: Setina Remains as Chief Prosecutor. The article comments on yesterday's vote in the Parliament, in which Chief Prosecutor Jiri Setina received the confidence of the majority due to support of the ruling right-of-center coalition. In an editorial, RP comments on the fact that Setina faced strong criticism for many of his past actions, including his support to the controversial Jirkov Decree and his proposal for a migration law, both of which were widely considered as undemocratic, with racist overtones.

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SURVEY OF SLOVAK PRESS by CTK News Agency

BRATISLAVA, June 18 (ÇTK) - The Slovak National Party (SNS),

which used to take a strict opposition stand, is today face to

face to the open door of Meçiar's cabinet, writes the opposition

+Slovenský denník+, close to the Christian Democratic Movement

(KDH). Its second joining the government is hardly

understandable, as "during his three-year activity on the

political scene, Meçiar did not provide a single prove that he

was a trustworthy partner able to keep his word," writes the

daily.

The assertion by the SNS that it enters coalition with the

Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) in Slovakia's interest

is not quite clear, states the daily. Quite on the contrary, it

would be in the young Slovak state's interest to rid its

political scene of the routine followed by the current governing

representation. The entrance of the SNS into a two-party

coalition does not guarantee this alternative, as "it can rather

cause prolongation of the crisis agony", concludes +Slovenský

denník+.

The trade union daily +Práca+ contemplates a weird political

"culture" of the Slovak politicians who, when threatened with a

loss of their posts, immediately fall ill or at least see their

doctor. A column recalls Meçiar's leaving the position of

Premier in spring 1991 when we learned "that he needs to be

cured." It also mentions a similar falling ill of Oěga Kelto ová

in September 1991, when she was dismissed from the position of

deputy chairman of the Slovak National Council, and Milan

Kńaćko's "instantaneous indisposition" caused by Meçiar's

statement "why should you fly to Brussels, when you are soon to

fly out from the government."

Currently, this "political culture" was resorted to by

Privatisation Minister čubomír Dolgo who resigned after a

no-confidence vote was passed on him by the HZDS praesidium but

his further step was "not normal", as he declared himself to be

incapable of working for health reasons. Another senior official

in danger of losing his post is Education Minister Matú Kuçera.

He, too, turned to the doctor the first working day after the

praesidium session, but he has not been declared yet incapable

of working, writes +Práca+.

The left-oriented +Pravda+ reports about a request by

Transport Minister Roman Hofbauer addressed to Foreign Minister

Jozef Moravçík. Hofbauer wants him to demand the Czech

government to change the name of Czechoslovak Airlines,

Czechoslovak Sea Lines, The Elbe and Oder Czechoslovak

Navigation Company, and Czechoslovak Automobile Transport

Company. In case that the Czech Republic refuses to observe the

binding resolution by the former Federal Parliament, Hofbauer

requests Moravçík to coordinate common moves in order to achieve

the change of the names of the Czech companies at the

international level. "The Czech Republic evidently does not

observe the binding resolution by the former Federal Parliament

regarding the non-use of the signs and symbols of the former

common state by the successor states and it evidently wants to

do so as well," said Hofbauer.

The daily +Republika+, published by the Slovak News Agency

TA SR, reminds the motorists registered in Slovakia that they

are obliged to use abroad the international "CS" number plate

until August 31. Starting from September 1, it is possible to

use the "SK" number plate. The international sign cannot be

complemented by any inscriptions or emblems.