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June 12
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June 5
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By Daniela Lazarova
Inevitably the weeklies are flooded with election reports and party
self-promotion spots this week. Tyden magazine presents itself in the
form of "a guidebook for the undecided voter" -and according to its
editor in chief Karel Hvizdala there are a great many of those around.
As opposed to the 1996 elections half of those who plan to go to the
polls will made a last minute decision. The number of those who
identify with or even like the party they will vote for is down to
40%. A great number of voters know who they will absolutely not vote
for and plan to support the party which they find least offensive.
There are two ways to read this - Hvizdala says. One reading is that
the existing parties have totally discredited themselves in the eyes
of voters and nothing less than a change of guard will help. The other
possibility is that voters have grown less emotional and more rational
about the choice they make, more aware of the whole picture and the
need for compromise, the author says, and concludes - if the former
is true then we can praise heavens that voters have not given up on
voting. According to the Mlada Fronta Dnes supplement, which has
devoted a 3 page report to what it calls non-voters, an estimated 15%
Czechs will not go to the polls this year. Either because they don't
give a damn, feel they can't really influence what goes on, or have
given precedence to a holiday abroad. Which brings the weekly to a
group of people who would like to vote but cannot. Under Czech law,
Czechs who are permanently or temporarily out of the country do not
have a right to vote. This includes Czech diplomats and students
studying abroad. Despite heavy criticism of this state of affairs the
legislation has not yet been amended.
The same weekly carries a mini opinion poll in which people were asked
whether people-relations had improved since the Velvet Revolution. Out
of 12 respondents only three answered YES. Most feel that the money
cult has not helped bond people -others say people have developed very
close relationships with their computers and microwaves, instead of
with their neighbours.
*
On a different topic, the same weekly has interviewed some of the
people whose lives were turned upside down when burning wreckage from
a Czech MIG 21 fighter jet flew into their living rooms and bedrooms.
Mrs. Milena Macarova who initially thought the fiery object which
crashed into her living room was a ball of lightning, says she's now
come to terms with having the whole place burnt to a crisp. Just as
long as no one was killed, she told Tyden's reporter, and the
solidarity has been marvellous. Actually, in true Czech style, the
town is now rife with jokes about the incident all poking fun of the
military, and new ones have emerged after it came out that one of the
fighter jets was carrying a black passenger. Black humour is exactly
what we needed to rise above our problems, say the locals.
*
Last week I spoke about the declining birth rate in this country. Too
few young people are deciding in favour of children - but once they
do they can rest assured that it will get the best care in the world -
and that is no exaggeration. As the Prague Post notes, the Czech
Republic is currently the safest place to give birth in the world. A
timely injection of money, excellent specialists and strict legal
standards have all contributed to the fact that last year this country
recorded the lowest infant mortality rate in the world and by
fractions, the lowest ever. The rate at 5.1 deaths per thousand live
births per year is less than half of Czechoslovakia's 1985 rate of
11.5 . No country has ever reached this level, professor Stembera, an
expert on prenatal medicine told the weekly. According to Czech law,
doctors are obliged to save babies who either weigh 500 grams or have
survived until the 25th week of gestation. Five years ago the cut-off
levels were much higher and the babies who fell below them
were usually lost. At a time when the whole health sector is
desperately short of cash neonatologists are thankful for half a
billion crown financial injection back in 1989 which financed the
establishment of 12 pre-natal centres around the Czech republic which
focus on care of mother and child. Strapped for cash - they could be
loosing many more babies since the cost of keeping a premature baby
alive starts at one million Czech crowns.
*
And finally , although porn magazines are displayed on most Prague
newsstands, private TV NOVA allegedly made the mistake of going too
far in very openly discussing the advantages and disadvantages of
prostitution in an afternoon talks show aimed at the young generation.
The Radio and Television broadcasting Council slapped it with a 2
million crown fine for allegedly making prostitution sound like an
easy, get-rich-quick profession.
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Copyright 1997
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