OMRI DAILY DIGEST
No. 127, 30 June 1995

ETHNIC HUNGARIANS HOLD PROTESTS IN SOUTHERN SLOVAKIA. Ethnic Hungarian
parents and teachers held demonstrations in a number of towns across
southern Slovakia on 29 June, protesting the dismissal of directors of
several schools for the Hungarian minority who had objected to the
government's plan to implement "alternative" (bilingual) education in
the fall, Narodna obroda reports. The Education Ministry issued a
statement on 29 June stressing that alternative education is aimed at
improving the level of teaching of the Slovak language in ethnically
mixed territories. Protesting the "disinformation" of ethnic Hungarian
politicians about the program, the ministry says it will be implemented
on a voluntary basis and will proceed unhindered by protests or the
disruption of classes. -- Sharon Fisher, OMRI, Inc.

HUNGARY TO PRIVATIZE ITS UTILITIES. Privatization Minister Tamas Suchman
told journalists on 29 June that the government has approved a plan to
privatize some of the country's biggest businesses, such as oil and gas
supply and distribution companies. The sales would start later this
year. The government expects to earn the equivalent of $1.2 billion from
the sales to offset Hungary's huge trade deficit. Hungarian trade unions
are opposed to the move, fearing job losses. The union representing
electricity workers has already called for a strike to protest the plan.
-- Jiri Pehe, OMRI, Inc.

NEW LAWS STIR CONTROVERSY IN ROMANIA. A law on restitution of houses
nationalized under communism has stirred widespread controversy in
Romania, western and Romanian media report. The law, which was adopted
by a 289 to 153 vote in a joint session of the parliament on 28 June,
rules out full restitution of property seized by the former regime in
the late 1940s and the 1950s. It provides that former owners are
entitled to get back only one habitation unit, while receiving up to 48
million lei ($24,000) for any further confiscated property. The Liberal
Party '93 said that the law de facto sanctioned communist abuses and
announced it would challenge it in the Constitutional Court. In another
development, deputies belonging to the Hungarian Democratic Federation
of Romania on 27 June issued a declaration denouncing the "cynical way"
in which their amendments to a new education bill had been rejected by
the parliament. The law, which was adopted in parliament on the
following day, has been criticized for restricting ethnic minority
rights to mother tongue education. -- Dan Ionescu, OMRI, Inc.

[As of 12:00 CET]

Compiled by Steve Kettle

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A tovabbterjesztest a New York-i szekhelyu Magyar Emberi Jogok
Alapitvany tamogatja.

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Reposting is supported by Hungarian Human Rights Foundation News
and Information Service.
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Friday, 30 June 1995
Volume 2, Issue 126

BUSINESS NEWS
-------------

**HUNGARY UNVEILS UTILITY SELL-OFF DETAILS**
  Hungary's Privatization Minister Tamas Suchman reaffirmed his
  government's determination to resume large-scale privatization
  by announcing details on Thursday of plans to sell the
  Hungary's major utilities. Bids are expected to begin arriving
  in September. Suchman says foreign oil companies will be
  barred from holding a majority stake in the Hungarian
  petroleum and gas company MOL, although other investors will
  be allowed to take up to 75 percent. As regards the
  controversial privatization of th state electricity utility
  MVM, Suchman confirmed that the state will retain a majority
  stake. The country's sole nuclear power station at Paks and
  the national grid will stay with MVM, while a 48 percent stake
  in the local distributors and between 33 and 38 percent of the
  oil- and coal-fired plants are now up for sale.


**HUNGARY'S FINANCE MINISTER RULES OUT MORE TAX INCREASES**
  The Hungarian government says it is not going to raise tax
  rates or import duties.  Finance Minister Lajos Bokros said on
  Thursday that Hungary cannot increase its import duties any
  further because of international trade commitments. Hungary
  has already introduced a tough austerity budget for 1995 and
  cut its budget deficit by a third in real terms from 1994.
  Bokros added that in his opinion tax rates are already too
  high and an increase would be eaten uop by the cheating it
  would induce. Instead the government will concentrate on
  better tax collection.


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*****************************************************************
A tovabbterjesztest a New York-i szekhelyu Magyar Emberi Jogok
Alapitvany tamogatja.

           [*]   [*]  [*]   [*]  [*][*]    [*][*][*]
           [*]   [*]  [*]   [*]  [*]  [*]  [*]
           [*][*][*]  [*][*][*]  [*][*]    [*][*] 
           [*]   [*]  [*]   [*]  [*]  [*]  [*]    
           [*]   [*]  [*]   [*]  [*]   [*] [*]

Reposting is supported by Hungarian Human Rights Foundation News
and Information Service.
*****************************************************************