OMRI DAILY DIGEST
No. 198, 11 October 1995

SLOVAK EXTRAORDINARY PARLIAMENT SESSION LASTS SEVEN MINUTES. An
extraordinary parliament session on 10 October was cut short when
deputies failed to approve the opposition's proposed agenda, Slovak
media reported. The session was called by the opposition to address the
conflict between the police and the Slovak Information Service over the
abduction of the president's son. Of the 141 deputies present, 62 voted
in favor and 69 against, while nine coalition deputies abstained.
Following the vote, parliament chairman Ivan Gasparovic terminated the
session, and opposition parties called a meeting. Three opposition
groups--the Democratic Union, Christian Democratic Movement, and
Hungarian coalition--issued a joint statement demanding that Interior
Minister Ludovit Hudek support the police force, which came under attack
from SIS director Ivan Lexa after police investigators connected SIS
agents with the case. -- Sharon Fisher

CABINET RESHUFFLE IMMINENT IN HUNGARY? Labor Minister Magda Kosa-
Kovacs's resignation has triggered widespread speculation that a major
reshuffle of Hungary's coalition cabinet is imminent, Reuters reported
on 10 October. The Socialist minister resigned over cabinet moves to
push through the Socialist-majority parliament a sick leave plan ruled
unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court (see OMRI Daily Digest, 9
October 1995). She told Hungarian journalists that she does not doubt
the professional integrity of any minister but that she believes the
Finance Ministry's "excessive powers" are causing severe operational
difficulties. Justice Minister Pal Vastagh, who is also a member of the
Socialist Party, threatened to quit if the cabinet continued to push
through the controversial sick leave plan. Socialist ministers have been
increasingly critical of the cabinet since the severe austerity package
was launched in March. -- Zsofia Szilagyi

ROMANIAN NATIONALIST GENERAL DISMISSED FROM ARMY. Paul Cheler, commander
of the Fourth Transylvanian Army, has been dismissed and placed on
reserve, Romanian media reported on 10-11October. Cheler is well known
for his extreme nationalist, particularly anti-Hungarian, views. At a
press conference in Cluj on 9 October (which in itself is a breach of
the military code), Cheler protested his dismissal and attacked the
reforms under way in the Romanian army. His remarks were reminiscent of
a letter published last summer by 300 military in the weekly of the
extreme nationalist Greater Romania Party. The letter, which some media
speculate was inspired by Cheler, was considered to be an instigation to
revolt against President Ion Iliescu, whom the signatories accused of
undermining the Romanian army. Cheler threatened to sue those
responsible for his dismissal for allegedly failing to observe army
regulations that generals placed on reserve must be announced six month
ahead of their retirement. -- Michael Shafir

SZUROS ON HUNGARIAN MINORITY IN ROMANIA. Matyas Szuros, Hungary's first
post-communist president and currently leader of the Hungarian
parliamentary delegation to the Inter-Parliamentary Union conference in
Bucharest, said the 2 million ethnic Hungarians are fighting for their
survival in Romania, Radio Bucharest reported on 10 October. He noted
that Romania's new education law discriminated against ethnic Hungarians
and was a step backward in comparison with previous laws. He went on to
say that the "historic reconciliation" between Hungary and Romania "is
inconceivable as long as there is no reconciliation between the Romanian
majority and ethnic Hungarians." Interviewed by Reuters, Szuros spoke of
ethnic Hungarians' collective rights and recommended the creation of
"enclaves" in eastern Transylvania, where Hungarians form a compact
majority. -- Matyas Szabo

HUNGARIAN PRESIDENT IN BULGARIA. Arpad Goncz arrived in Sofia on 9
October for an official three-day visit, Bulgarian and Hungarian media
reported the following day. "Both Bulgaria and Hungary wish to
participate in the post-war reconstruction of the former Yugoslavia,"
Goncz and his Bulgarian counterpart, Zhelyu Zhelev, said following the
first day of talks aimed at strengthening bilateral ties. During
discussions on EU membership, Goncz said Hungary would share with
Bulgaria its experience in negotiating with European organizations and
could assist in Bulgaria's admission to CEFTA and other European
organizations. Zhelev said that, instead of competing, the two countries
must help each other to achieve integration into European structures. --
Zsofia Szilagyi and Stefan Krause

[As of 12:00 CET]

Compiled by Jan Cleave


Wednesday, 11 October 1995
Volume 2, Issue 199


REGIONAL NEWS
-------------

**BOSNIAN CEASEFIRE CONDITIONS IN PLACE**
  There was very little standing in the way of a ceasefire in
  Bosnia last night.  The Bosnian government said it was ready
  for a ceasefire after gas and electricity started flowing into
  Sarajevo yesterday for the first time in six months.  The
  Russian gas company Gazprom said the international gas
  pipeline to Sarajevo was opened at midnight Monday and
  supplies will reach Sarajevo this morning.  The pipeline
  passes through Hungary.



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Forra's: Magyar Nemzet, 1995 okto'ber 7. szombat
 
 Alapitva'ny a Duna Televizio'e'rt
 
 
 A Duna Televizio' mu"ko:de'se'nek ta'mogata'sa'ra 181 alapito' tag
 do:nte'se alapja'n csu:to:rto:k este megalakult a Duna
 Televizio'e'rt Alapitva'ny.  Ce'lja, hogy segitse a Duna
 Televizio' mu"sora'nak suga'rza'sa't a vila'gban e's ku:lo:no:sen a
 Ka'rpa't medence'ben e'lo" magyarok sza'ma'ra, e's ezzel szolga'lja
 a magyar e's az egyetemes szellemi, kultura'lis e'rte'kek
 ko:zvetite'se't.  Az alapito' tagok tiszteletbeli alapito'nak
 tekintik Farkas Ferencet, Fejto" Ferencet, Habsburg Otto't,
 Luka'cs Margitot, Marton E'va't, Nemesku:rty Istva'nt, Szo"ts
 Istva'nt, Tolnay Kla'rit e's U'jhelyi Szila'rdot.
 
 Az alapito'k tizenhe't tagu' kurato'riumot va'lasztottak,
 amelynek elno:ke Szo:llo"sy A'rpa'd.  Az alapitva'ny nyilt,
 ba'rki, aki ce'ljaival egyete'rt, csatlakozhat hozza' --
 tudatja az MTI.

Tovabbitotta:
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