OMRI DAILY DIGEST
No. 7, 10 January 1997

SLOVAK OPPOSITION CRITICIZES STATE OF EMERGENCY BILL. Opposition
representatives on 9 January slammed the Justice Ministry's draft law
restricting basic human and political rights in a state of emergency,
Slovak media reported. Those rights that would be targeted in such a
case include personal immunity and freedom as well as the rights to
ownership, assembly, and travel. Slovak National Party Chairman Jan
Slota demanded the passage of such a law in January 1996 in exchange for
his party's support of the Slovak-Hungarian bilateral treaty. Christian
Democratic Movement Chairman Jan Carnogursky called the bill "a serious
violation of basic civil rights," saying it provides for imprisonment
and the confiscation of property in a state of emergency. The bill would
also allow the mobilization of the army, customs guards, railway police,
airport guards, and other armed forces. -- Sharon Fisher

CONTROVERSY IN HUNGARY OVER DRAFTING NEW CONSTITUTION. The opposition
Young Democrats on 9 January rejected a proposal by the Alliance of Free
Democrats (SZDSZ), the junior coalition partner, that only four of the
seven parliamentary parties draft the new constitution, Hungarian
dailies reported. Previously, the SZDSZ had suggested that only those
parties that had supported the concept for the new basic law in December
should take part in drafting the final document. The governing
Socialists and Free Democrats as well as the opposition Young Democrats
and Democratic People Party all voted in favor of the concept, while the
other three parties voted against or abstained. The Young Democrats
argue that all parliamentary parties should take part in drawing up the
new constitution. -- Zsofia Szilagyi

[As of 12:00 CET]

Compiled by Jan Cleave

OMRI DAILY DIGEST
No. 6, 9 January 1997

PETITION FOR REFERENDUM LAUNCHED IN SLOVAKIA. The opposition begins
today collecting signatures for a referendum on direct presidential
elections, Slovak media reports. Party of the Democratic Left (SDL)
deputy Brigita Schmoegnerova has warned that political power may be
abused if it is concentrated in one person. She added that Prime
Minister Vladimir Meciar has already suggested changing to a
presidential or German model. The SDL also argues that the constitution
cannot be changed by a referendum but only by a three-fifths majority of
deputies. The party is considering asking the Constitutional Court to
explain how the basic law stands over this issue. The Hungarian
Christian Democratic Movement (MKDH) is supporting the referendum on
direct presidential elections. Novy Cas noted that this is the first
time the opposition "is taking matters into its own hands" in an effort
to prevent the ruling coalition from getting its way. -- Anna Siskova

HUNGARIAN OFFICIAL ON INTERNATIONAL TRIAL OVER GABCIKOVO DAM. Gyorgy
Szenasi, head of the international law department at the Foreign
Ministry, has said that Hungary will have an advantage over Slovakia at
the upcoming trial at the International Court of Justice because
Slovakia will never concede it has violated international law,
Vilaggazdasag reported on 9 January. The Hague-based court is due to
convene in early March to rule on whether it was legal for the then
Czechoslovakia to divert the Danube in 1992, whether the 1977 Hungarian-
Czechoslovak accord was legally terminated when Hungary declared it so,
and whether it was legal for Hungary to suspend and subsequently stop
all construction work on the Gabcikovo-Nagymaros hydropower plant.
Szenasi said a verdict is expected in late summer. He noted that
confidential negotiations between the personal envoys of the Hungarian
and Slovak premiers aimed at reaching an out-of-court settlement had
yielded no results. -- Zsofia Szilagyi

HUNGARY, TURKEY SIGN FREE TRADE AGREEMENT. Industry and Trade Minister
Szabolcs Fazakas and Turkish state minister Ayfer Yilmaz signed a free
trade agreement in Budapest on 8 January, Hungarian media reported. The
accord abolishes import duties on 90% of Hungarian industrial products
shipped to Turkey. It also stipulates that import duties on Turkish
products entering Hungary are to be gradually phased out by 2001. The
agreement does not apply to agricultural goods, for which preferential
duties have been set. Yilmaz noted that Hungary is the first East
European state with which Turkey has concluded a free trade agreement.
-- Zsofia Szilagyi

[As of 12:00 CET]
Compiled by Jan Cleave