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* NASE SLOVA 4/99 * NASE SLOVA 4/99 * NASE SLOVA 4/99 *
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NASE SLOVA
is published by the students of the Journalism School, Comenius
University, Bratislava, in the hope of informing the world about
our country, Slovakia.
You are free to use whatever appears in this bulletin. Please,
give approriate credit.

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POLITIKA
POLITICS

SKRATENIE VOJENSKEJ SLUZBY
Ministerstvo obrany rozhodlo skratit od 1. juna buduceho roka
trvanie zakladnej vojenskej sluzby z terajsich dvanast na sest
mesiacov.

SHORTENING OF A MILITARY SERVICE

The Slovak Defence Ministry plans to shorten the duration of
compulsory military service from the current 12 to six months after
June 1 of next year.

MECIAROV MAJETOK

Slovensky expremier a predseda Hnutia za demokraticke Slovensko
Vladimir Meciar, ktory vo svojom poslednom televiznom vystupeni
povedal, ze vlastni len automobil Opel Corsa a niekolkoizbovy byt,
je aj majitelom stvorpodlazneho penzionu Elektra v Trencinskych
Tepliciach. Cena penzionu a rozsiahleho pozemku je udajne 15-20
milionov korun. Podla hovorcu hnutia bude Meciar splacat objekt do
roku 2007.

MECIAR'S PROPERTY

Vladimir Meciar, ex-premier and the Chairman of the Movement for a
Democratic Slovakia, said in his last TV performance said that he owns
only an Opel Corsa car and an apartment consisting of several rooms.
But he also is the owner of the formerly state-owned four-storey
pension Elektra in Trencianske Teplice. The pension and extensive land
is supposedly worth 15-20 million crowns. According to the Movement's
spokesman, Meciar bought it legally and will be repaying it until the
year of 2007.


POJDEME DO TANKOCH A ZROVNAME BUDAPEST

Vyroky predsedu Slovenskej narodnej strany (SNS) Jana Slotu, ktore
odzneli na marcovom mitingu strany v Kysuckom Novom Meste, boli
viacerymi politikmi i novinarmi oznacene za skandalozne. Slota
v nich mazval obyvatelov susedneho Madarska "hajzlami a gaunermi",
ktorym nedame ani centimeter stvorcovy z nasho uzemia. "Moj stary
otec...bol bity v skole v roku 1912, pretoze nevedel Otcenas po
madarsky...Toto chcete, Slovaci, toto chcete? Aby nas vesali na
kandelabre?", povedal Slota. "Chcete sa ucit po madarsky? Nie,
nikdy! Pojdeme do tankoch a zrovname Budapest," dodal Slota.
Slovenski Romovia su podla Slotu "Cigani, ktori kradnu, lupia
a rabuju." Na adresu ministerky zahranicnych veci USA Madeleine
Albrightovej povedal, ze chce "poucovat vsetkych Slovanov aki sme
my debili. Ale my nie sme." Evidentne podnapity Slota neskor
priznal, ze pred mitingom pozil alkohol.
Za jeho vyroky organizacia Obciansko-demokraticka mladez podala
podnet na trestne stihanie pre podozrenie zo spachania trestnych
cinov hanobenia naroda, rasy, sirenia poplasnej spravy a opilstva
na verejnosti. Ak ho sud uzna vinnym, hrozi mu trest odnatia
slobody od 3-8 rokov. Napriek tomuto incidentu vedenie SNS
nominovalo Jana Slotu na post prezidenta SR.

"WE WILL GET IN OUR TANKS AND FLATTEN BUDAPEST" -- Slota

Jan Slota's statements, which were said by the Slovak National Party
(SNS) leader at a party rally in Kysucke Nove Mesto at the beginning
of March, have been classified by several politicians and journalists
as a scandalous. Slota called neighbouring Hungarians "jerks and
gauners" and said "we will not give up a square centimeter from our
territory to them."
 "My grandfather...was beaten in school in 1912
because he could not say the Lord's Prayer in Hungarian...Is this what
we, the Slovaks, want to come back? To allow them to hang us from the
lamp posts?", Slota said. "To learn Hungarian? No, no way. We will get
in our tanks and we will flatten Budapest," he added.
    Referring to Slovak Romanies Slota said: "They are Gypsies who
steal, rob and plunder." According to Slota, U.S. State Secretary
Madeleine Albright "starts to lecture all the Slavs on what morons we
are. But we are not."  Slota later admitted that he drank some alcohol
before the rally.  The Civic Democratic Youth organization submitted a
criminal complaint for his statements calling it hate crimes,
spreading of alarmist news and of public drunkeness. If he is found
guilty, he can expect a sentence of 3-8 years of
imprisonment. The SNS leadership nominated Jan Slota for the post of
Slovak President.

SLOVENSKO PRED DVERAMI NATO

Tri staty byvalej varsavskej zmluvy - Ceska republika, Polsko
a Madarsko su od marca clenmi Severoatlantickej aliancie (NATO).
Slovensko ako jedine z tejto skupiny statov nebolo do NATO
prijate. Ministerka zahranicnych veci Madeleine Albrightova
povedala, ze "dvere do NATO su otvorene a je smutne, ze Slovensko
este nebolo pripravene". Prijatie Slovenska spomalila svojimi
nedemokratickymi krokmi vlada expremiera Vladimira Meciara.

SLOVAKIA IN FRONT OF NATO GATE

The Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary, three countries of the former
Warsaw Treaty, became the members of The North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO) in the middle of March. The only state from this
group, which did not enter NATO is Slovakia. US Foreign Affairs
Minister Madeleine Albright said that "the NATO gate is open and it is
sad that Slovakia had not been ready yet".  Former premier Vladimir
Meciar's government slowed down Slovakia's acceptance because of
allegedly anti-democratic measures applied in the country.

V SKRATKE
IN BRIEF

* Vlada SR koncom marca zrusila objednavku protiraketoveho systemu
S-300, ktorym sa mala realizovat dalsia cast deblokacii ruskeho
dlhu v hodnote sest miliard korun. Podla premiera Mikulasa
Dzurindu sa tak stalo preto, lebo system nie je vhodny pre
slovensku armadu, pretoze nereflektuje orientaciu Slovenska do
Europskej unie a NATO.

* The Slovak government has cancelled an order for a Russian S-300
anti-missile system which would have been supplied as a part
payment of Russia's debt to the country in the amount of six
billion crowns. According to Slovak Premier Mikulas Dzurinda, the
system was not suitable for the Slovak army since the deal would not
reflect Slovakia's orientation towards the European Union and
NATO.

* Den konania volieb urcil predseda parlamentu Jozef Migas na 15.
maj 1999. Slovensko je bez prezidenta od 2. marca minuleho roku,
ked sa skoncilo patrocne volebne obdobie Michala Kovaca.

* Chairman of the Slovak Parliament Jozef Migas set the date of
the presidential elections for May 15. Slovakia has had no
president since March 2 last year when Michal Kovac left office at
the end of his five-year-term.

* Byvaly viceprezident a predseda dozornej rady VSZ a.s., Kosice
Jan Smerek sa vzdal mandatu poslanca parlamentu za HZDS. Smerek
ako privrzenec Meciarovho Hnutia za demokraticke Slovensko (HZDS)
sa stal vdaka privatizacii pocas Meciarovej vlady jednym
z najbohatsich muzov Slovenska. Nadalej sa mieni venovat
podnikatelskym aktivitam.

* Former vice-president and the chairman of Supervisory Board of the
steel company VSZ a.s., Kosice Jan Smerek resigned from the post of
deputy for Meciar's party Movement for a Democratic Slovakia
(HZDS). Smerek became one of the richest man in Slovakia. He intends
to go back to his business activities.

* Nemecky kancelar Gerhard Schroder po rozhovoroch so slovenskym
premierom Mikulasom Dzurindom uviedol, ze nemecka vlada podpori
Slovensko v jeho snazeni o preradenie do prvej skupiny kandidatov
na vstup do EU este v tomto roku. Podla Schrodera boli odstranene
politicke deficity, ktore vyradili Slovensko z prvej skupiny
kandidatov. Predseda vlady Mikulas Dzurinda je prvym slovenskym
premierom, ktory navstivil Bonn na oficialne pozvanie nemeckeho
kancelara.

* The German chancellor Gerhard Schroder said after meeting the
Slovak Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda, that the German government
will support Slovakia in its effort to become a member of the
first group of candidates for the entry to EU this year. According
to Schroder, the political deficits that disqualified Slovakia
from the first group have been eliminated. Premier Mikulas
Dzurinda was the first Slovak Prime Minister officially invited by
German chancellor to visit Bonn.

* Clen Hnutia za demokraticke Slovensko (HZDS) a velkopodnikatel
Vladimir Poor predal sukromnu televiznu stanicu VTV podnikatelovi
Ladislavovi Milkovi zo Strany Demokratickej lavice (SDL) za 338
tisic korun. Dlh VTV sa v sucasnosti odhaduje na 1,3 mld korun.
Novy majitel televizie uviedol, ze sa nebrani spolupraci s dalsou
sukromnou slovenskou televiznou stanicou Markiza. Zaroven vylucil
akukolvek politicku orientaciu stanice.

* Vladimir Poor, an entrepreneur and member of the Movement for a
Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) sold the private television station VTV to
Ladislav Milko from the Party of the Democratic Left (SDL) for 338.OOO
Slovak crowns. The debt of VTV is estimated at 1.3 bn Slovak
crowns. The new owner of the TV station said that he would not refuse
cooperation with another Slovak private station, TV Markiza, but
said that VTV will not have any political orientation.


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EKONOMIKA
ECONOMICS

ZALOBA NA BYVALYCH CLENOV FNM

Fond narodneho majetku (FNM) podal trestne oznamenie na byvalych
clenov prezidia fondu kvoli predaju 10 percentneho podielu
v petrochemickom gigante Slovnaft. Prezident FNM Ludovit Kanik
uviedol, ze byvali clenovia prezidia predali akcie Slovnaftu
spolocnosti Colorin Zilina za ovela nizsiu cenu nez bola ich
hodnota. Colorin Zilina kupil na jar 1998 akcie od FNM po 368 Sk.
Trhova cena akcii sa v tomo case pohybovala medzi 930 a 945 Sk
v anonymnom obchodovani na verejnych trhoch.

FORMER MEMBERS OF FNM TO BE SUED

The National Property Fund (FNM) is to file a suit against former
members of its presidium over the sale of a ten percent stake in
the petroleum giant Slovnaft. President of the FNM Ludovit Kanik
said that former presidium members had sold ten percent of the
shares of Slovnaft to the Colorin Zilina corporation at a much
lower price than their value. Colorin Zilina bought the shares
from the FNM in the spring last year at 368 crowns (Sk) per share.
The market price of the shares at the time fluctuated between 930
and 945 Sk in anonymous trading on public markets.

MASAR O INTERVENCII

"Narodna banka Slovenska (NBS) bude na devizovom trhu intervenovat
iba v pripade vyraznejsich vykyvov a nebude ovplyvnovat vyvoj
kurzu koruny", povedal guverner NBS Vladimir Masar v suvislosti
s opakovanym oslabenim koruny. Dodal, ze kurz koruny musi zavisiet
od hospodarskych vyledkov krajiny a nie od intervencii.

MASAR ON INTERVENTION

"The Slovak National Bank (NBS) will intervene on the foreign exchange
market only in the case of more substantial swings, and will not try
to influence the development of the crown's rate", said the governor
of the NBS Vladimir Masar in connenction with the recent lowering of
the crown's rate. He added that the level must depend on the
economy's performance and not on interventions.


V SKRATKE
IN BRIEF

* Cisty uver vlade dosiahol koncom februara 136,4 miliard korun
(Sk), ked v porovnani s koncom minuleho roka vzrastol o 3,7
miliard Sk.

* Net loans to the Slovak government totalled 136.4 billion crowns
(Sk) at the end of February, having increased 3.7 billion Sk in
comparison with the end of last year.

* Miera inflacie bola vo februari medzirocne 6,9 percenta
a medzimesacne 0,8 percenta, informoval Statisticky urad SR.

* Inflation stood in February at 6.9 percent year-on-year and 0.8
percent month-on-month, Slovak Statistical Office said.

* Parlament schvalil statny rozpocet na tento rok. Celkove prijmy
rozpoctu predstavuju sumu 179,9 miliard korun (Sk) a vydavky
194,9 miliard Sk.

* The Slovak parliament passed this year's state budget bill. Overall
incomes will amount 179.9 billion crowns (Sk) and spendings will
amount to 194.9 billion Sk.

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KULTURA
CULTURE

NAVRAT PETRA DVORSKEHO

Po dvojrocnej prestavke sa najslavnejsi slovensky tenor Peter
Dvorsky vratil na podium Slovenskeho narodneho divadla (SND)
v Bratislave. Z opery odisiel na protest proti odvolaniu riaditela
SND Dusana Jamricha, ktoreho z politickych dovodov odvolal
Meciarov minister kultury Ivan Hudec. Mnohi popredni slovenski
herci a spevaci kritizovali politiku Meciarovej vlady, za co ich
Hudec nazval druhotriednymi umelcami. Hudec, povolanim lekar patri
medzi nie velmi uspesnych spisovatelov.


PETER DVORSKY'S COMEBACK

After a two-year pause, the most famous Slovak tenor-singer Peter
Dvorsky has celebrated his come-back to the Slovak National
Theater 's stage. He quit the opera in order to protest against
the dismissal of the former SND's director Dusan Jamrich. Jamrich
was dismissed by the former Culture Minister Ivan Hudec.
 Many Slovak prestigious actors and singers critized thed cultural
policy of the former Vladimir Meciar government.  Hudec had described
them as third-rate performers.


BENKOV OBRAZ NAJDRAHSI

Vyvrcholenim jarnej aukcie obrazov a umeleckych predmetov, ktora
sa uskutocnila v Slovenskom narodnom muzeu v Bratislave, bol
predaj obrazu Terchovsky kraj (1937) od slavneho slovenskeho
maliara Martina Benku. Novy majitel ho kupil za 400 tisic korun.

BENKA'S PAINTING THE MOST EXPENSIVE

The spring's auction-sale of paintings and artistic items held in
the Slovak National Museum in Bratislava culminated in the sale of
the famous Slovak painter Martin Benka's picture called
"Terchova's region" (1937). A new owner bought it for 400 thousand
Slovak crowns.


NEPOISTENE OBRAZY ANDREJA WARHOLA

Vacsina obrazov povodom slovenskeho maliara pop-artu Andy Warhola
je v sucasnosti ulozena v depozitaroch Muzea moderneho umenia
rodiny Warholovcov v Medzilaborciach.
Pretoze obrazy neboli poistene, predseda Spolocnosti Andy Warhola
a zastupca riaditela muzea Michal Bycko ich dal uschovat. Diela su
majetkom americkej Nadacie Andy Warhola a sukromnych zberatelov.
Nadacia sa zaviazla poistne zaplatit a slubila obrazy odpredat za
vyhodnu cenu. Obrazy, ktore muzeu zapozicali sukromni zberatelia,
ostavaju nadalej v depozitari.

ANDY WARHOL'S PAINTINGS WERE NOT INSURED

More than half of Andy Warhol's paintings are hidden away currently in
the storage rooms of the Warhol family Museum of Modern Arts
exhibition in Medzilaborce (Eastern Slovakia). The town is the
birthplaces of the Warhol family.  Michal Bycko, the president of Andy
Warhol's Company and the deputy curator of the Museum, ordered them
taken down because they were not insured. The works are owned by The
Andy Warhol's Foundation (USA) and private collectors. The foundation
promised to pay the insurance and sell the paintings for a reasonable
prize to the Museum. The paintings, which were lent by private
collectors, stay in storage.

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SPORT
SPORT

* Slovenska futbalova reprezentacia remizovala v Bukuresti
s Rumunskom 0:0 v dalsom kvalifikacnom zapase na EURO 2000. Hraci
slovenskej futbalovej '21' boli uspesnejsi - porazili mladych
Rumunov 0:1. Vitazny gol v 90. minute zapasu strelil Pavol Sedlak,
hrajuci vtedy len tretiu minutu.

* Slovakia's national football team tied with Romania 0:0 in Bucurest
in a further qualifying match for EURO 2000. Slovak players under
21 were more successful - they beat young Romanians 0:1. Pavol
Sedlak, who had been on the pitch just for three minutes,
scored in the 90th minute of the match.

* Dominik Hrbaty, 21-rocny slovensky tenista, bol uspesny na
turnaji v Key Biscane, USA. Po vyhrach nad El Aynaouim (Maroko,
42. v rebricku ATP) Agassim (USA, 9.) Marinom (Kostarika, 81.)
Riosom (Chile, 8.) postupil az do stvrtfinale, v ktorom podlahol
Francuzovi Jeanovi Grosjeanovi 3:6, 7:5, 1:6.

* Dominik Hrbaty, a 21-year-old Slovak tennis player, was
successful in the Tour match held in Key Biscayne, USA. He won over El
Aynaoui (Marocco, 42. in ATP ranking) Agassi (USA, 9.) Marin
(Costarica, 81.) Rios (Chile, 8.) and so advanced into the
quarterfinals, where he lost with French Jean Grosjean 3:6, 7:5,
1:6.

* Ministerstvo skolstva SR rozdelilo 12 mil. korun 150
najuspesnejsim slovenskym sportovcom. Medzi prvymi piatimi
ocenenymi figurovali:
1. Martina Moravcova (plavanie) 800 tis.
2. Jozef Gonci (strelba) 571 tis.
3. Dagmar Danekova (vzpieranie) 435 tis.
4. Michal Martikan (vodny slalom) 264 tis.
5. Andrea Stranovska (strelba) 200 tis.

* The Slovak Ministry of Education gave 12 million Slovak crowns
(292 700 $) to 150 most successful Slovak sportspeople. The list
of first five:
1. Martina Moravcova (swimming) 800 thousand Slovak crowns (SKK)
2. Jozef Gonci (shooting) 571 thousand SKK
3. Dagmar Danekova (weightlifting) 435 thousand SKK
4. Michal Martikan (water slalom) 264 thousand SKK
5. Andrea Stranovska (shooting) 200 thousand SKK.

* Vynikajuce 12. miesto spomedzi 167 startujucich vybojoval
slovensky atlet Robert Stefko na Majstrovstvach sveta v krose
v irskom Belfaste.

* Slovak athlete Robert Stefko took 12th place among 167
competitors in the World Championship in cross-country running in
Belfast, Ireland.

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ROZLICNE
MISCELLANEOUS

BRATISLAVSKE ANTILOPY DO AFRIKY

Tri samice a jeden samec polopustnych antilop opustili
bratislavsku zoologicku zahradu, aby sa vratili do svojho
povodneho prostredia v Afrike, do Narodneho parku Sidi Toui
v Tunisku.

BRATISLAVA ANTELOPES TO AFRICA

Three female and a male antelope left the Bratislava's ZOO to return
to their home land in Africa, to the National Park Sidi Toui in
Tunisia.

SLOVENSKY COLNICI DROGOVI KURIERI

Pocas protidrogovej akcie v nemeckom Dusseldorfe policia zatkla
troch drogovych kurierov zo Slovenska. Pri prehliadke vyslo
najavo, ze su to colnici. Okrem 5,5 kilogramov heroinu sa u nich
nasli aj strelne zbrane.

SLOVAK CUSTOMS OFFICERS AS DRUG COURIERS

During a drug raid in Dusseldorf (Germany) the police arrested three
drug couriers from Slovakia. The personal examination revealed that
the couriers worked as Slovak customs officers. Apart from 5,5
kilograms of heroin the police seized firearms during the raid.

* Slovenska armada predala kosickej sukromnej firme Perun 35
bojovych lietadiel zo svojej vyzbroje.

* The Slovak army sold 35 surplus fighter planes from its stocks to
a private firm Perun from Kosice.

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Students who worked on this issue:
PhDr. Svetlana Hlavcakova, CSc. (supervisor),
Doc. PhDr. Jozef Vatral, CSc. (transmission),
Sylvia Kusnirova, Viera Kundratova, Danica Feterikova (Politics),
Lucia Habermayerova, Michaela Mazarova (Sport), Lucia Kubosova,
Zuzana Lysakova, Katarina Dibdiakova (Culture), Olivia Strapekova
(Economics), Andrea Lorinczova (Editor-in-chief), Martin Albrecht
(Technical stuff, politics).
************************************************************

Jozef Vatral, Associate Professor
Department of Journalism, Faculty of Arts,
Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia
Tel.: 00421 7 364192, Fax: 00421 7 326530
E-mail: vatral@fphil.uniba.sk
http://www.fphil.uniba.sk/~kzur/vatral.html