GUGSP
© 1997, 98
Miro Sedivy |
GUGSP News Archive: 23 Mar - 29 Mar 1998
A summary of the most important events in the Slovak politics in the 13th week of the year 1998.
|
WEEK 12 --
MAIN LIST --
WEEK 14
MONDAY 23 Mar 1998
The Party of the Democratic Left (SDL) will propose the very first woman candidate for President of the Slovak Republic. Brigita Schmognerova (b. 1947) is currently the only candidate for the third round of presidential elections planned for April 16.
The reaction of HZDS to Schmognerova's attempt was immediate - Augustin Marian Huska, the vice-chair of the Parliament declared, that HZDS would never support Brigita Schomognerova.
Three leaders of governmental coalition parties Vladimir Meciar (HZDS), Jan Slota (Slovak National Party) and Jan Luptak (Association of Slovak Workers) met at the regular coalition dialogues today. They decided the coalition will propose no candidate in the forthcoming third round of Presidential election in April. Just a few days ago, the representatives of the Association of Slovak Workers (ZRS) were thinking of proposing the current vice-chair of the government for European Integration Jozef Kalman, but other coalition parties did not accept this candidature.
After the meeting, the leader of the Slovak National Party (SNS) Jan Slota said for Radio Twist, that Brigita Schmognerova, as the presidential candidate of the Party of Democratic Left "is absolutely unacceptable for the governmental coalition." Jan Slota said, that his SNS will certainly propose their own candidate in the fourth round. Jan Slota reacted also the statement of the Hungarian Foreign Minister Laszlo Kovacs who said, that the national minorities in Hungary have the best conditions. "He lies", he commented. Jan Slota also mentioned SNS's attempts to establish the capital punishment in the Slovak republic by comparison with the "most democratic country in the world (USA), where the capital punishment exists - why Slovakia couldn't have the same?"
The Governmental Office decided to re-establish the regular press conferences they abolished last year. However, those news-conferences were held every Tuesday after the governmental session, and the journalists could ask about the problems they were interested in. The new news-conferences will be held only every second Thursday, and the topics will be always chosen by the government. It won't be a discussion, but the information of the government to the citizens, Jozef Kroslak (the spokesman) added.
The 46th Parliamentary session will begin tomorrow. Its chairman Ivan Gasparovic said, that it was possible the deputies will also discuss about the European Union resolution toward Slovakia.
According to the Interior Ministry, the referendum declared in two Slovak small towns Sturovo and Svaty Jur, is violating the law. The municipal councils of these two towns decided to hold the referendum declared by the ex-President Michal Kovac with four questions concerning Slovakia's entrance into NATO and direct presidential elections. This referendum has been canceled by the government after it took the President's competencies three weeks ago. These two towns wanted to ask its citizens in this issue, whether they still were interested in the public affairs.
The former President Michal Kovac became the chairman of the Petition Committee of the Slovak Democratic Coalition and the Magyar Coalition for the Referendum about the direct Presidential Elections. The petition is also against the new-proposed Electoral Law.
According to the Social Affairs Minister Vojtech Tkac, the pensions increased by 38% during past four years. Since 1989, it means about 250% increase, which is comparing to 170 to 300%, quite a sufficient compensation.
According to the British chairman of the European Democratic Group (EDG) David Atkinson, it was a huge mistake to accept the deputies of the Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) to this international political group. The HZDS deputies are not acceptable, and won't be supposed as EDG members.
TUESDAY 24 Mar 1998
The 45th session of the National Council of the Slovak Republic began today. The chairman announced 76 points, but it's possible the number will increase. Certainly, the most important discussed issue on this session will be the Electoral Law, proposed by six coalition deputies. According to the chair of the HZDS faction Tibor Cabaj, the new law will only improve the quality of the parliamentarian elections.
The lists of voters won't be put in the houses, so that every one can easily check the information about him, but they will be to disposition at the Local Offices. Tibor Cabaj explained, that the information on the voters' lists have been misused, the sheets disappeared quite often from the houses, and also, it's quite easy to check it at the Office. The opposition deputies argued then, that it's almost impossible for over 100,000 habitants of the European largest habitation Petrzalka (one whole part of Bratislava, built within a few years, just huge blocks of flats) to visit their Local Office and check the information about them. Just a note - if the information in the list is incorrect, and the citizen does not check it before, the committee may not allow such citizen to vote...
The spokesman of the Slovak Democratic Coalition and the deputy of Christian Democratic Movement Mikulas Dzurinda told, that HZDS won all elections until now with the old electoral law, mainly because the opposition was represented by many small parties. But now, when several opposition parties formed the Slovak Democratic Coalition, which could win the election, now, HZDS is afraid and wants to change the electoral law.
The deputies accepted the law proposal so that it will be discussed in the parliamentarian committees.
Tomorrow, on Wednesday March 25, it's the 10th anniversary of the commemorative Candle Demonstration in 1988. Although it was about 20 months before the Velvet Revolution in November 1989, it was one of the first signals of the nearing fall of the Communism in Czechoslovakia. The Slovak Democratic Coalition (SDK) is organizing a huge meeting tomorrow on the Bratislava square of the Slovak National Uprising.
The representatives of the Hungarian Coalition (MK) are sad, that the SDK leaders did not invite them to cooperate at the organization of the meeting. However, Laszlo Nagy (MK) believes in a very good cooperation between the two coalitions in the future.
The vice-chair of the Democratic Union (SDK party) Ludovit Cernak accepts such a cooperation too, he just criticizes several attempts of the Hungarian deputies to use their language (Hungarian is totally different from Slovak) in the Parliament, which "is just prosperous to the governmental coalition."
The vice-chair of HZDS Augustin Marian Huska confessed, that he's one of the possible candidates of this biggest governmental coalition party. The final decision will be done on Saturday Republic Conference of HZDS. According to Augustin Marian Huska, among those six candidates, there's also the current Slovak Ambassador to the Czech republic Ivan Mjartan, ann also probably some woman.
According to other HZDS deputy Dusan Macuska, the information of A.M.Huska was already inaccurate.
The Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar designed the new Slovak Ambassador to the United Nations Organization, the former Social Minister Olga Keltosova. She promised to improve the quality of the Slovakia image abroad, and she will be accompanied by the Prime Minister's former spokeswoman Magda Pospisilova.
The Institute for Public Affairs asked in a public inquiry, whether people would participate in the referendum declared by ex-President Michal Kovac and canceled by the Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar. About 58% of the respondents would participate and vote YES for direct presidential elections. about 5% would participate and vote NO, and the rest wouldn't participate or doesn't know. It means the referendum would show that the citizens want to elect their President themselves. It's interesting to compare the results with the preferences of political parties. Meciar's HZDS wins in four regions: Trnava, Trencin, Zilina, Banska Bystrica - and the referendum wouldn't have much success in these regions. On the other hand, HZDS would loose in Bratislava, Nitra, Presov an Kosice regions - referendum would be much more successful in these regions.
Tomorrow, the petition activity for referendum begins, so we'll see...
WEDNESDAY 25 Mar 1998
On Friday 25 March 1988, a few thousand people met on one Bratislava square to show their protest against the totalitarian regime with candles in their hands. It was the biggest demonstration in Czechoslovakia since August 1968, and the state power intercepted with water guns and policemen. Fortunately, it was not the last demonstration, and twenty months later, the Velvet Revolution finally caused the fall of communism.
On Wednesday 25 March 1998, the country, no more Czechoslovakia, just Slovakia now, is again nearing to a totalitarian regime. The tenth anniversary of the Candle Demonstration was a good reason to organize a huge meeting on Bratislava SNP (Slovak National Uprising) square by the biggest coalition of opposition parties - Slovak Democratic Coalition. The meeting was connected also with the beginning of the petition activity for direct presidential elections, and against the new electoral law.
The GUGSP reporter (in fact, it was me), came to the square fifteen minutes before the beginning at 5pm. Later, I was standing in the very middle of the crowd, with quite a good position to see and hear the spokesmen, and also to see other people and banners. Yes, banners - there were many various types. Some contained just the name of a town or region, others were rather stronger, with different slogans announcing the nearing end of the current governmental power. By the way, I've seen also a banner refusing the ideas of the Slovak Democratic Coalition and celebrating the current government, but soon, the banner has been destroyed by other people.
Before the beginning, a children choir was singing some religious songs. The meeting has been conferred by Vladimir Palko (Christian Democratic Movement - KDH). There were several speaking politicians then: Frantisek Miklosko (KDH, he was the main organizer of the meeting in 1988), Jan Carnogursky (leader of KDH), Eduard Kukan (leader of Democratic Union), Peter Zajac (from the Democratic Party; firstly, the leader Jan Langos had to speak, but he's after a serious car accident), Zdenka Tothova (leader of Party of Greens in Slovakia). Jaroslav Volf, the leader of the Social-Democratic Party in Slovakia has been called the "tribune of the people", because he was very able to make the masses shout with him. After one representative of the Hungarian Coalition (sorry, I was about to change my position in that time, I didn't catch his name), the longest speech has been held by the former President, and now the chair of the Petition Committee, Michal Kovac. At the end, the spokesman of the Slovak Democratic Coalition Mikulas Dzurinda invited the people to sign the petition.
When speaking about the number of people present at the meeting, I can surely say, that we were thousands and thousands. According to several speakers, there were about 30,000 (thirty thousand) people on the square... It was surely the biggest meeting since the cold winter days in 1989.
At about 6.30pm, the masses began to move towards the Hviezdoslavovo square, where the Candle Meeting in 1988 had been organized. I had the chance to stand up in the relative center, and even on a flowers-box, so I was the highest point all around, and I could see very well far away. I've seen the vice-chair of Matica Slovenska Bajanik, and also the chairman of the Christian-Democratic Union V.Oberhauser (that's him who was against the violation and erotic programs on TV Markiza and Radio (!!!) Twist). Even on such small place in front of the National Theatre, there were thousands people keeping their candles. Suddenly, they began to sing religious songs. Silently, with candles in their hands... There were so many people, that they certainly couldn't hear each other, so when staying in the middle, on a higher place, I could hear three or four melodies of different songs all around me... Then the large part near me began to repeat the prayers. After over forty minutes, I left the square with a very good impression, that people are able to go together if necessary.
Nevertheless, the effect of such meeting is not sure. Of course, those thirty thousand people (apart of several individualities who were shouting insults towards the speakers) realize the situation, and they do not need to be persuaded again on such meetings. But what about other millions in other parts of Slovakia. I couldn't watch the TV News on Markiza (they informed about the meeting normally), but I've seen the report on the Slovak TV, which is watched in most smaller parts of Slovakia. And they showed some images of the square at about 4pm, when there were just a few hundreds people! Of course, they commented it as just a small meeting of some citizens manipulated by the opposition leaders... And if the people in Central Slovakia watch the evening news, they just see that there's nothing extra in Bratislava, and that it's correct... Unfortunately, not everybody can reach TV Markiza, Radio Twist or Geocitizen's Unofficial Guide to Slovak Politics to get also news different from those in the Slovak TV...
Apart of the large squares in Bratislava, a few hundreds mostly elderly people met at the meeting organized for the 10th anniversary of the Candle Demonstration in YMCA, by the Regional Office and HZDS. The vice-chair of the Parliament and HZDS Augustin Marian Huska was talking about the anniversary, and the biggest success was the four year-old girl speaking a poem.
The five parties of the Slovak Democratic Coalition will most probably go into the election as one Party of the Slovak Democratic Coalition. The spokesman Mikulas Dzurinda has most chances to become the leader of this party.
Today afternoon, a few hundred people from the Union of Towns and Villages met today in front of the Parliament protesting against the novelization of the law which would decrease the competencies of the municipal offices, and undemocratize the system of local politics.
The 45th Parliamentarian session continued today by discussions about several agricultural laws.
Tomorrow will be probably one of the first matches between Vladimir Meciar and Mikulas Dzurinda. Of course, not directly, but both HZDS and Slovak Democratic Coalition will have meetings in Kosice (the second Slovakia town - in the Eastern part of the country) in two different places. Just the citizens will have to choose whether to come to a hall (V.M.) or to the main street (M.D.)
According to the Slovakia Press Agency (TASR), the newly-formed Party of Civil Understanding (SOP) will spend over 40,000,000 SKK (~1.2 million USD) for its pre-electoral campaign. The representatives of SOP seemed to refuse this information.
THURSDAY 26 Mar 1998
The 45th Parliamentarian session continued today by the Hour of Questions and Answers. The Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar was not in Bratislava and the vice-chair of the government Katarina Tothova excused also other seven ministers. About the anti-corruption program of the government, she said: "it's criminal to give the bribe and also to accept it." She also emphasized, that all the information sources that ever had declared, that the Slovak Republic does not punish the bribes, they were damaging the positive image of Slovakia abroad.
Vladimir Meciar couldn't be in Bratislava, because he spent another day in Kosice, the second Slovakia town (in Eastern Slovakia). He visited the Eastern-Slovakia Ironworks again, and then he met with a few thousands supporters in the sport hall. It was his very first public meeting in Kosice, and probably the first "competition" between him and the spokesman of the Slovak Democratic Coalition Mikulas Dzurinda. SDK organized a meeting on the nearby square, so the Kosice habitants could decide whether to see SDK or HZDS meeting. The "competition" was slightly better for Dzurinda - there were 6 to 8 thousand people (by the way the biggest meeting since 1989), and HZDS couldn't attract more than 5-6,000 people (the size of the sport hall is limited). There was still another difference: people came to SDK meeting on their own, but it's very probable the visitors of HZDS meeting were originally obligated to do so, they were mostly the employees of the Easter-Slovakia Ironworks.
Kosice are still awaiting the third meeting - of the newly-founded Party of Civil Understanding, whose leader is the Kosice mayor Rudolf Schuster...
The leader of the Christian Democratic Movement Jan Carnogursky officially declared, that he wouldn't run in the candidature for the deputy in the next elections if the Slovak Democratic Coalition went alone. Nevertheless, he will fully support all activities of the Slovak Democratic Coalition.
The newly-designed Slovak Ambassador to the United Nations Olga Keltosova said, that the prior goals of her delegation is the temporary membership of the Slovak Republic in the Security Council of UN, and that Slovakia had very good chances to achieve it.
The vice-chair of the Slovak government Jozef Kalman declared, that he wouldn't run in the candidature for the presidency, because only the Association of Slovak Workers would support him. HZDS will probably propose their candidate, but it's still not sure.
The Foreign Minister Zdenka Kramplova visited Uruguay, and signed several agreements on very good cooperation between the two countries.
FRIDAY 27 Mar 1998
On yesterday's HZDS meeting in Kosice, the Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar spoke also about the Kosice Mayor and the leader of the Party of the Civil Understanding Rudolf Schuster. When Meciar was the Slovak Interior Minister in 1990, he had "several materials, he won't speak about more...". He probably wanted to say, that Rudolf Schuster had had something with the State Security (Czechoslovak Intelligence Agency - StB).
Rudolf Schuster said, that it was just another imagined material, because there were absolutely no proves about Schuster's cooperation with StB, and that Meciar was probably trying to "create" the proves. Schuster emphasized, that he has never been found in the list of "collaborators", and that he couldn't appear there suddenly after eight years. Schuster said, that his Party of Civil Understanding and Meciar's HZDS do not go together and they will never go together.
Ladislav Pittner from the opposition Christian-Democratic Movement said, that Meciar had never been for the law examining former StB collaborators, and that it was possible that such new materials are always created...
The vice-chair of HZDS Arpad Matejka slightly criticized his leader by evaluating Meciar's words as very dangerous and risk.
On the yesterday's Kosice meeting, Vladimir Meciar also said, that it would be necessary to get the representatives of the Eastern-Slovakia Ironworks (VZS - the biggest Slovakia industrial company) also to the Parliament and the government. The opposition deputies refused the possibility of economic control of the country. Nevertheless, some HZDS deputies accepted this idea, because "if the citizens wish it...", the representatives of VSZ should get there after next elections.
HZDS will decide on their presidential candidate for the third round tomorrow on their Republic Session. According to vice-chair of HZDS and the Parliament, Augustin Marian Huska, there are three probable candidates - himself, the Slovakia Ambassador to the Czech Republic Ivan Mjartan and the Slovakia Ambassador to Hungary Eva Mitrova. According to another HZDS vice-chair Arpad Matejka, HZDS will probably propose Augustin Marian Huska, but who "will be probably not accepted by the opposition."
Arpad Matejka was also asked, why does HZDS propose their candidate who is already supposed not to be supported by other deputies. Arpad Matejka said, that HZDS promised to propose their candidate in the third round, and they want to elect a new President before September. In the interview for Radio Twist, Arpad Matejka began to defend the steps of the government, who took the President's power, canceled referendum and declared very problematic amnesty.
The Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) had a meeting in one small Western-Slovakia town Malacky with the Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar. According to the TV Markiza News, there were just about 500 people in the sport hall, and the reactions were really very mild. Vladimir Meciar obviously in good mood, didn't succeed to do with those people what he succeeds to do with his supporters in the Bratislava Pasienky sport hall.
The members of the government visited many places of Bratislava today. Vladimir Meciar visited the biggest chemistry factory Slovnaft and the Volkswagen car factory. Meciar said, that the government does not have 30 billion SK (~1 billion USD) to support the construction of subway in Bratislava, unless Bratislava will cooperate with the government better. Certainly, Bratislava is one of the most problematic regions of Slovakia for the government - HZDS has a very low support in this city.
The Justice Minister Jozef Liscak said, that the Bratislava courts are very well organized and they work excellently. The Interior Minister Gustav Krajci visited Senec (a small town near Bratislava) and declared it was necessary to improve the efficiency of the local police. Agriculture Minister Peter Baco appreciated the very good work of the biggest private meat-producing company Kabat. The Education Minister Eva Slavkovska visited some elementary schools in the old town. Transport Minister Jan Jasovsky visited the construction of the new Bratislava-Petrzalka Railway station, which will be finished next year, and which will allow passengers to get to Vienna within fifty minutes.
Jan Carnogursky, the long-time leader of the most powerful opposition Christian-Democratic Movement won't run in the candidature of the Slovak Democratic Coalition in the forthcoming elections. In the current situation, the new Electoral Law forces all politicians of the five parties Christian-Democratic Coalition, Democratic Party, Democratic Union, Social-Democratic Party in Slovakia and Greens Party in Slovakia, to enter into the Party of the Slovak Democratic Coalition to be strong enough to win the elections, because it wouldn't be possible in the current system of five-coalition (coalitions have been abolished in the new electoral law). Jan Carnogursky, will fully support all activities of SDK, but won't attempt to get into the high politics later.
The 45th Parliamentarian session continued today by the fourth day... There were several social laws accepted. The Parliament will meet on Tuesday again.
|