JUNE 25, 1998

P R E S S  R E V I E W

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All Czech newspapers today focus on negotiations conducted by Milos Zeman, leader of the victorious Social democrats, with chairmen of other parties on forming a new cabinet. "The Right Gives Zeman Two Weeks At Most To Form the Cabinet," reads the headline on the editorial page of LIDOVE NOVINY. Although president Havel did not specify precisely when the new government should be formed, it is quite clear to all politicians that Zeman's talks must not last for months. According to Havel's advisor Jiri Pehe, the president had two or three weeks in mind. "If we don't want another early election, I would not speak about days or weeks," said Social democrat senator Pavel Rychetsky, while Deputy chairman Vladimir Spidla added: "In the Netherlands elections were held at the beginning of May and to date, they have no government either." Neither do the communists want to press Zeman. Their spokeswoman Vera Zezulkova said the Social democrat leader should have "enough space for negotiations". But the words of right-wing politicians are not so patient, notes LIDOVE NOVINY. "Another week should be enough for him. Milos Zeman is a person who is able to clearly say I have or haven't been successful," opines ODS deputy chairman Ivan Langer.

PRAVO writes that although Zeman has only started his talks about the composition of a possible coalition, there are rumors among right-wing politicians that in the end a right wing cabinet - formed by ODS, Christian Democrats and the Freedom Union - will again rule the country. In backstage calculations, Christian democrat leader Josef Lux is often mentioned as the future Speaker of the Chamber of deputies, because he would allegedly not accept a ministerial post in a Klaus government. According to PRAVO, cooperation of right-wing coalition parties might be complicated by Lux's statements about the need to change the present policy and his remarks that he couldn't be in a government where Vaclav Klaus is.

And away from politics - ZEMSKE NOVINY reports that these days, when children are awaiting their elementary school certificates, many more than usual have been contacting help lines throughout the republic. They usually fear what their parents might do when their results at school are not as good as expected. In the article psychologists are quoted as saying that it's the fault of the parents if they don't learn how their children are doing at school until the term ends. They should avoid all kinds of punishment because this is not a solution, concludes ZEMSKE NOVINY.

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