GUGSP
© 1997, 98
Miro Sedivy |
GUGSP News Archive: 02 Mar - 08 Mar 1998
A summary of the most important events in the Slovak politics in the 10th week of the year 1998.
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MONDAY 02 Mar 1998
The counter opposite to the President's Palace was showing the number "0" today. Five years of the first after-war Slovak President Michal Kovac are over after the Monday midnight. The act of leaving the office had to be held in the Grassalkovich (Presidential) Palace in the center of Bratislava, as the Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar proposed last week. The whole government led by Vladimir Meciar, the chairman of the National Council Ivan Gasparovic and the Chairman of the Constitutional Court Milan Cic met the leaving President in the Hall of the Palace at about 4pm. In his speech, Michal Kovac said, that he didn't succeed to establish correct connections to the government, and he thanked to all people who helped him and supported him. Then Kovac wished all the best to the government - to develop the democratic principles, to lead the country to the Europe. However, he would certainly prefer to give his mandate to a new President, but the Parliament was unable to elect the new President. Michal Kovac shook hands with the Ministers and left the room with the words "Good-bye". None of other present persons had speech then, and they left the hall.
Citizens in Bratislava knew very well what happens and already after 3pm, there were hundreds of people in front of the palace, on the Hodzovo square. Of course, the GUGSP reporter were among them. Later, even thousands people were standing there and waiting for the President and the government. The meeting has been organized by the Youth of the Slovak Democratic Coalition, but there were not only the young people. Near the Palace fence, there were almost older people, who seemed to be quite happy that the President leaves. On the other side, on the fountain (yes, that big metal sphere with doves in the middle of the square), the young people were keeping banners refusing the Meciar's attempts to establish a dictate in the country, such as "Meciar, don't try it again!". When the Prime Minister arrived with his government in luxurious cars, people were protesting by huge whistling. Then they entered the Palace and met the President. After a few minutes, the whole group of President's Guards moved to the place in front of the palace, and the whole President's Office staff moved there too. Then, the government with Vladimir Meciar left the building. The reaction of over eight thousand people was a huge protest, and Vladimir Meciar had to hear what he really dislikes - the people were not accepting him. It's already since quite a long time he has not been in Bratislava among the people, and now, he had to hear the mass of people shouting "Meciar is the dictator".
I was standing at quite a good place opposite to the gate, and through the hole in the fence, I could see very well the Prime Minister directly into his eyes. During the ceremony, he was just standing, and certainly had difficulties when the crowd was shouting and whistling. He was smiling, and sometimes he watched the small balloons blowing in the wind. The Interior Minister Gustav Krajci, standing right behind him and from time to time, he waved toward the people. Suddenly, the President Michal Kovac appeared, and the eight-thousands crowd clapped hands and shouted "Live, Kovac!" Michal Kovac walked to see the Guards, and the Slovak National Anthem began to play. Then, he shook hands with the whole government. Before 5pm, the President left and the Palace remained without his flag.
Officially, Michal Kovac ends his 1825 days long mandate after midnight, so after Monday 6pm of New York time. Still before the midnight, there's a peaceful candle demonstration in front of the Palace... more information tomorrow...
The representatives of the Slovak Democratic Coalition went to Great Britain today to present their opinions at the meetings with the government and Parliament members.
Exactly 20 years after the first (and still the only) Czechoslovak cosmonaut Vladimir Remek flied to the space, the third candidate for the first Slovak cosmonaut has been excluded from the finale. Now, only Fulier and Bella are the two candidates for the flight to MIR next February. This will cost Slovakia about 15 million USD...
TUESDAY 03 Mar 1998
Michal Kovac, the first after-war President of the Slovak Republic is now the first after-war ex-President of the Slovak Republic. After last midnight, his presidential mandate ended after five years of difficult work on the post of the Head of the State. Yesterday afternoon, about 8,000 people met in front of the President's Palace (see yesterday's GUGSP news) to protest against the government who took most of President's functions.
I promised to bring also the information about the midnight meeting in front of the Presidential Palace. At 11.15pm, there were just two dozens of young people, but later, after half past eleven, the number increased rather. Although it was not as full as in the afternoon, about 1,500 (according to my estimation) mostly young people remembered Michal Kovac with candles, and the really silent and peaceful manifestation culminated at midnight by the Slovak National Anthem. Then the people did large circle with candles. It was after midnight, Slovakia was without its President. However, people remembered, that only 205 days are remaining to the current government until next elections.
The large digital counter opposite to the President's Palace with inscription "Love life, not drugs!", which showed just the number of days remaining to Michal Kovac until the end of his mandate since last October, showed already the current time today... after four months...
According to the Constitution, most functions of the President moved to the government and the Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar, who was always in conflict with Michal Kovac, who unbelievably has been elected for the President by the governmental coalition, and he has been proposed by Meciar's HZDS itself. Michal Kovac, fortunately, refused to become just a tool in the hands of the authoritative Prime Minister and decided to be the President of all citizens. He didn't succeed, he lost the match, but he really couldn't win it. Yesterday, he left the President's Palace as the winner, widely supported by over 8,000 citizens in front of the palace.
And the government took the power really into its hands. Today it met in the President's Palace and did several serious decisions in the name of the quasi-president, as Vladimir Meciar currently is. The government declared an amnesty to all offenses before 03 March, which do not reach 5,000 Sk (~150 USD). The government then recalled 28 (twenty-eight) Ambassadors of the Slovak Republic (out of 42) and named the former Social Affairs Minister Olga Keltosova for the Ambassador to the United Nations Organization. Olga Keltosova is known for her attempts to get this place, but the ex-president Michal Kovac never accepted it.
Not to forget government's attempts since a few days, the government in the name of the non-existing president, canceled the Referendum declared for 19 April 1998 by Michal Kovac with four questions (three about our entrance into NATO and one about the direct presidential elections). However, it promised, that if the Parliament does not elect a new President before June, the government will propose a novelization of the Constitution about the direct elections of the President, in July.
The government moved then to the Prime Minister's Palace, which is fortunately just behind the President's Palace, and continued on a regular governmental session.
The Slovak Democratic Coalition decided to organize a petition activities for a referendum with two questions, which should be held on the same day as the Parliamentary elections (September 98): (1): Are you for a favor with the direct election of the President without modifying President's authorities? (2): In the case there's no President, do you wish the rights from the Article 102/f of the Constitution: "appoints and recalls the prime minister and other members of the Government of the Slovak Republic, entrusts them with the management of ministries, and accepts their resignation." would be performed by the Chairman of the National Council?"
SDK will announce the time and the way of organization of those activities on Friday, and it should be the largest petition in Slovakia since ever. Vladimir Palko (Christian-Democratic Movement) said, that the government's decision to cancel the referendum was a "slap in the face of half a million citizens."
The Party of the Democratic Left (SDL) won't propose any other presidential candidate in the case the Parliament (and mainly the coalition majority) does not elect the SDL's candidate Ladislav Ballek this Thursday. SDL will then support the petition activities of the Slovak Democratic Coalition.
The governmental coalition's Slovak National Party (SNS) reacted to the government's decisions in the name of the president. Except of the Amnesty, which has not been discussed in the coalition dialogues, and which won't be commented by SNS, otherwise, they accepted all other decisions, included the canceled referendum.
According to the HZDS spokesman Vladimir Hagara, HZDS representatives will meet other parties on Friday afternoon, on the discussion initiated by the Slovak Democratic Coalition, mainly about the new electoral law.
The son of the ex-president, Michal Kovac jr. has been released from the prison in Germany for 150,000 DM. The juridical process should begin within a few months.
WEDNESDAY 04 Mar 1998
Just a few hours after the government took the power in the country, on Tuesday morning, the government met in the President's Palace, and charged the Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar to perform most of the President's functions. And he did. Already in yesterday's GUGSP news you could read about the recalling of 28 Ambassadors of the Slovak Republic and the canceling of the referendum. There was also the information about the Amnesty, but today, media announced the complete content of this decision. Still yesterday, the Prime Minister's spokesman Jozef Kroslak said, that the amnesty wouldn't concern large masses as the amnesties of Vaclav Havel did.
The government decided to declare Amnesty for all persons connected with the kidnapping of the former President's son Michal Kovac jr. to Austria, which happened in summer 1995, and the members of the Slovak Intelligence Service were supposed to be responsible for it, and also all persons connected to the referendum last year, which has been apparently marred by the government. The government declared the amnesty with the words, that it should establish more reconciliation in the country... (???)
The reactions of the coalition parties were mostly accepting, but it was not the case of the opposition parties and representatives. Vladimir Palko (Christian-Democratic Movement) said, that such a step is without analogy in the history, by naming it "a self-amnesty". Michal Knazko from the Democratic Union said, that the Prime Minister had declared the amnesty for himself and his mafia. P. Roharik, the chairman of the Association of the Slovak Judges said, that the government confessed, that these two events really had happened, and that the government knew the offenders.
The General Procurator Michal Valo accepted Prime Minister's decision, as he supposes it his right, as the Constitution allows the government, who took the power of the ex-President, to declare amnesty for any reason. The vice-chair of the government Sergej Kozlik still cannot tell anything about the amnesty, as he has not seen the document and, finally, he's not a lawyer.
It seems that this step of the Slovak government and mainly its Prime Minister won't help Slovakia at all.
The General Secretary of NATO Javier Solana will come to Bratislava tomorrow. Today, he was in the Czedch republic, and was satisfied with the progress of the Czech governmental politics. What will he say tomorrow about Slovakia...
On Monday evening, the most popular private TV Markiza, began to organize discussions "SITO" (a sieve), always with three invited politicians. In the first round, the spokesman of the Slovak Democratic Coalition Mikulas Dzurinda, the leader of the Party of the Democratic Left Jozef Migas and the vice-chair of the government and HZDS Sergej Kozlik participated. I've seen this program in TV, and found it quite interesting. There were spectators formed mostly of journalists of very different media, who could ask the questions. Then, three phone numbers were to the disposition for the TV-spectators to "vote" for one of the politicians. The phone numbers were one of those "expensive" (you have to pay about 3-times more than by normal phone, but the connection time was just a few seconds). During the program, the speaking and argumentation ability of Mikulas Dzurinda was evident, he got soon over two-thirds of all phone calls. Finally he won a Gold Sieve. And this was the problem of some people in the state... The Slovak Television dedicated a part of their TV News to the problem of the Sieve. Well, the HZDS headquarters in one small town Lucenec complained, that they couldn't call to support Sergej Kozlik, as the phone line was always occupied. There was one man talking in the Slovak TV News today, that he succeeded to vote for M. Dzurinda by phone, but not for Kozlik and Migas... The general director of the TV Markiza Pavol Rusko refused any ideas of manipulation of the phones, and promised the situation will be much better... "Twenty minutes after midnight, you cannot call anyone by phone..."
THURSDAY 05 Mar 1998
The second round of the Presidential Elections had place in the Slovak Parliament today. After the Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar, who thought of running for the candidate, and who preferred to take most President's functions as the Prime Minister, there were just two candidates. The Party of the Democratic Left proposed the writer Ladislav Ballek, and one independent deputy proposed a railway worker Milan Fogas. The coalition promised not to elect any other candidate, so Ladislav Ballek got just 49 votes (90 are needed), and Milan Fogas not more than five votes. However, both candidates will run also in the second scrutiny, which will be held in two weeks, on 19 March. After the election, Milan Fogas, just 36 year-old railway signaler (35 years is the requested minimum for the President) said, that the society was still not prepared for such young and somehow different candidates.
The Slovak Democratic Coalition invited for today afternoon all political subjects to discuss about the novelization of the Electoral Law. Except of the Association of the Slovak Workers, all parties (HZDS included) came, but immediately, the HZDS spokesman V. Hagara announced, that HZDS just proposed their own complete novelization to the chairman of the National Council. However, they came, as they have been invited.
The first reaction of the Slovak Democratic Coalition representatives was: "It's even worse than we have awaited." The most important fact in this deputy proposal was the abolition of the electoral coalitions, as every one party goes into elections with the request of 5%. Every party, that offers a place on the vote ticket to a candidate of another party is already supposed as a coalition.
The 28 Ambassadors of the Slovak Republic abroad, that should leave their places in the near future after the decision of the Slovak government, who took most of the President's power on Tuesday, are not alone. The Foreign Minister Zdenka Kramplova announced that 5 more (so 33 totally) deputies out of 42 should be replaced in the following weeks and months.
Jan Carnogursky, the leader of the opposition Christian-Democratic Movement, said, that if the Prime Minister's amnesty for all connected to the marred last year referendum, should concern also him, he refuses to accept it. Vladimir Meciar declared this amnesty on Tuesday with the words, that he wanted a reconciliation with the "responsible" for the marred referendum. However, the Constitutional Court declared, that the government marred the referendum.
The General Secretary of NATO Javier Solana is on a two-days visit in Bratislava. He met the Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar and said, that NATO wants Slovakia to join, but it requests a cooperation also from the side of Slovakia.
The HZDS deputy Dusan Macuska accused the ex-president Michal Kovac of "several crime acts", which he refused to precise. They are concerning some privatization affairs, and Michal Kovac had to receive several billions Sk, but Maciska himself doesn't know exactly whether it's true.
The referendum, declared by the ex-president Michal Kovac for 19 April 1998, and canceled by the government on Tuesday, will be held however. Well, just in one small South-Slovakian town Sturovo, as the mayor wants to know, whether the people still want to present their opinion.
There were two large meetings in Bratislava. HZDS had its regular meeting in Pasienky sport-hall, with 6,000 older visitors, mainly transported by buses from the Central Slovakia. The Slovak Democratic Coalition doesn't need to transport their spectators from other parts, it was not a problem to make the SNP square full of people. Well, although quite cold weather, there were about 10,000 people participating. SDK leaders refused the steps of the government, and also the new proposal of the Electoral Law.
FRIDAY 06 Mar 1998
The Foreign Ministry of the United Stations strongly criticized the amnesty, declared by the Slovak Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar on Tuesday. Vladimir Meciar prohibited all juridical processes with any persons concerned with the kidnapping of the ex-President's son and the thwarted referendum. The Slovak Foreign Ministry reacted that the information was not correct. The Amnesty didn't concern persons that violated the Constitution in the process of print and distribution of the vote tickets. The HZDS deputy Dusan Slobodnik said, that Slovakia wanted to join into NATO.
According to the law expert of the opposition Democratic Party, the Prime Minister's amnesty concerning the kidnapping of the ex-President's son, would concern everybody and every crime, that probably still has not been discovered. It seems, that this is the very first case in the whole Czechoslovakian history, that an Amnesty concerns unknown number of persons, and crime acts that have still not been resolved all. And certainly, it's a very rare case in the Europe.
As the amnesty concerned also minor crime acts, there were 193 people released from the prisons.
The representatives of the Slovak National Party declared on their today's press-conference, that the Tusday's amnesty was a gesture of a conciliation and a good political will. SNS supposes the kidnapping of the President and the marred referendum just political affairs, often misused by the opposition for foreign visitors. Anna Malikova, the first vice-chair of SNS accused the ex-President Michal Kovac, the opposition and the Constitutional Court of the whole "chaos" around the last-year referendum.
The Slovak Democratic Coalition held a press-conference today. SDK spokesman Mikulas Dzurinda said, that HZDS was not interested in discussions, they just wanted to dictate... but the opposition will oppose strongly. The new Electoral Law is a very acute intervention into the civic rights. According to the Christian-Democratic Movement vice-chair Ivan Simko, the Slovak Democratic Coalition will begin their new petition activity on Wednesday, 25 March 1998 for a new referendum. This day is also the tenth anniversary of the Candle Demonstration in 1988. Bratislava will see again thousands of people on the Square of the Slovak National Uprising.
According to the spokesman of the Slovak Democratic Coalition Mikulas Dzurinda, there might be some problems with the registration of the "Party of the Slovak Democratic Coalition" at the Interior Ministry, but he didn't precise it exactly. The lawyers of SDK will examine the new-proposed law and will decide on Monday about the future strategy of SDK in the elections, as it's still not sure how this five-coalition will run in the elections.
The General Secretary of NATO Javier Solana finished his two-days visit to Slovakia today. After the meeting with the Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar, Javier Solana had not impression, that the Prime Minister would try to persuade him about the democratic progress in Slovakia.
The Chief of the General Staff of the Slovak Army Jozef Tuchyna would like to leave his place. The deputy for the Party of the Democratic Left thinks, that it would be better when Tuchyna stays on his place. There's a danger, that if this place is free, the Prime Minister, who's now also the chief of the army, would misuse the army for his political aims.
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