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

Headlines in all papers refer to Bosnian Muslim threats to use chemical weapons.

CESKY DENIK (right-wing) quotes Czech Finance Minister I.Kocarnik who said at the International Forum for European Economic Transformation in Crans Montana (Switzerland) that "the Czech Republic wants to be part of the free market; after 40 years of dictatorship, we will not accept further... bureaucratic commanding." Mr.Kocarnik's speech was preceded by a tirade against European protectionism delivered by Premier Klaus on Friday.

LIDOVE NOVINY (liberal) bring a report on the appalling condition of human rights in East Timor (under the title "Human Rights at the Edge of the World"), where as much as one third of the population may have perished since the Indonesian invasion.

Closer to home, members of the tiny Czech minority in Rumania also encounter problems - and not only in Rumania, where they are often denied basic rights. ("In Rumania, I did not have a name.") Those who have made it "back" to the Czech Republic (there are around 300 of them, compared to 6000 still living in Rumania) are also dissatisfied: despite being Czechs, they can apply for permanent residence only after 5 years ; thereafter, they will have to wait for the Czech citizenship another 5 years. (The same holds true for everyone else under Czech citizenship law.) The prerequisite, of course, is to resign on the Rumanian citizenship. "I was left without a citizenship, without a passport, with no chance to go abroad," says one of them, who was fortunate enough to receive permanent residency without waiting, because he came immediately after the revolution. "If I lose work, I will have to go back immediately," says another, who belongs to the 80% who have to wait both for permanent residency and for citizens

hip.

MLADA FRONTA DNES (centrist, independent) reveals that Tapcom, the company which bought the data about more than 2 million Czech citizens from the Federal Ministry of Interior last year, was dissolved shortly after the transaction. It seems likely that the company was established for the sole purpose of this translation, writes MFD.

PRACE (trade-union) speculates whether Interior Minister Ruml shouldn't also resign or be dismissed. Although the scandal with the sold database happened at the former Federal Ministry, the three persons responsible for it were transferred to the Czech Ministry in January and have been working key positions there until two weeks ago; moreover, it was recently revealed that investigation of the scandal was started two months ago with no result whatsoever (until the scandal became public). The beatings of football fans by members of a private security agency revealed the nonexistence of legislative rules for the functioning of such agencies, writes Prace. "Now a new law is being hastily proposed, but would it happen if the incident on the Sparta stadium never didn't take place?"

RUDE PRAVO (left-wing, ex-Communist) brings an interview with Communist Party Chairman Jiri Svoboda, who belongs to the party's reform wing. In the interview, Svoboda says a split between his branch and the orthodox Communists is inevitable.

RP also informs about the trial with a 34-year-old man who violated the law by ignoring the decision of a court which ordered him to go for therapy to be "unhooked". As he failed to do so, and continued taking drugs, he faces a jail sentence, writes RP approvingly.

SURVEY OF SLOVAK PRESS by CTK News Agency

BRATISLAVA, June 21 (ÇTK) - The Slovak daily +Národna

obroda+, referring to the current talks between the ruling

Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) and the Slovak

National Party (SNS) writes that "prospects for a coalition

tandem of the HZDS and SNS depend on how the two partners will

master the art of coalition politics."

Slovak Premier Vladimír Meçiar particularly should learn how

to accomodate a partner's opinion if he wants to keep his seat

throughout the term of office, the paper writes, adding that

although the SNS's bid for a coalition may be ruined by early

elections, its courage to face partnership in a "two-coloured"

government with Meçiar is to be applauded.

The unionist daily +Práca+ turns its attention to rumours of

a possible Hungarian veto on the Slovak admission to the Council

of Europe (CE), showing the consequences of a marred attempt in

the Slovak parliament to vote on the Slovak admission into CE.

"It is surprising that the issue is not even on the agenda

of the 20th session of the Slovak parliament," the paper writes,

noting that the parliament will have to react very sensitively

to the demands expected to be raised by deputies from Hungarian

parties.

The arrows of his satires are mostly well on target, the

+Slovenský denník+ comments on criticisms of Milan Markoviç's

satirical programmes shown on the Slovak Television. The paper

writes that had the opposition parties been mocked, Markoviç's

critics would have been silent. "On the contrary, they would get

a good kick out of joining in an attack on the opposition, whose

potential for defence is very limited," +Slovenský denník+

concludes.

+Smena+ notices that yet another Slovak cabinet chair is

unsteady, this time the finance minister's. Deputies have voiced

their dissatisfaction with the management and botched financing

of computer equipment purchases.

"If the sector's officials cannot fully answer for their

actions, it will be evident that the finance regulations they

issued have served to limit others but not themselves," the

paper writes, adding that the deputies' criticisms come at the

time of coalition talks between the HZDS and SNS.

Judged by the way Marián Andęl, chairman of the

parliamentary committee for education, science and culture,

criticised Matú Kuçera, the newly dismissed Slovak Minister for

Education and Science, it can be assumed that the HZDS might

offer this sector to the SNS, its possible future coalition

partner, the +Nový ças+ daily writes, noting that Kuçera has

already been promised the post of Slovak Ambassador to Croatia.

The Hungarian daily +ůj Szó+ comments that as time passes,

it is becoming clearer that ever since construction of the

Gabçíkovo hydroelectrical project according to the C variant was

started, the optimum solution to the problem is nowhere in

sight. The paper thinks that the politicians' present attitudes

show their inability even to find the least bad of all bad

options.

The +ůj Szó+ also recalls that inhabitants of the Hungarian

part of the Danube's malý Ćitný ostrov (Small Wheat Island) are

no longer willing to keep silent on the Hungarian politicians'

inactivity on this issue.

Ivan Laluha, chairman of Slovak foreign parliamentry

committee, tells +ůj Szó+ that in his opinion, the parliamentary

plenum will soon discuss Hungarian Slovak deputies' proposal to

submit for CE membership.

He points out, however, that many ethnic Hungarian deputies

set the Slovak parliament time limits which, in his opinion,

funtcion as ultimatums hindering further progress on the issue.

Laluha also says, in an interview for the +ůj Szó+, that he

is disconcerted that problems about the resolution on Slovak

submission for CE membership were vented in the CE by Jószef

Bratinka, a deputy of the Hungarian parliament.

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