News Briefs

Police: Dubček's sudden death was not a murder
Schuster receives representatives of Roma associations
Kukan: Slovakia will closely monitor Austrian cabinet

Police: Dubček's sudden death was not a murder

An investigation into the 1992 death of Slovak statesman Alexander Dubček has concluded that the car accident in which he sustained fatal injuries was not a murder, Interior Ministry Chief Investigator Jaroslav Ivor said February 14. The investigation was re-opened last September after Social-Democratic Party (SDSS) boss Jaroslav Volf filed an indictment against an unknown offender.
Dubček was killed in 1992 when the car he was a passenger in crashed on the D1 highway between Prague and Bratislava near the Czech town of Pelhrimov. Heavy rain had fallen during the day and police experts said the car had been travelling between 114 and 131 kilometres per hour (kph) in an 80 kph zone, although one eye-witness said the car had actually been travelling between 140 and 170 kph.
The case fell under the jurisdiction of investigators in Pelhrimov, who charged the driver, Jan S., with criminal negligence causing death. Jan S. served a one year prison sentence after his appeals failed.


Schuster receives representatives of Roma associations

President Rudolf Schuster met with representatives of Slovak Roma associations at the presidential palace on February 16 to discuss current problems facing the Roma minority. Schuster said afterwards that a joint project with the Czech Republic for overcoming these problems should be completed by the end of the year. The project is expected to address education, housing and employment problems.
Schuster told the representatives that the joint project with Czech president Vaclav Havel would fail unless the Roma participated actively. He compared the process of resolving problems in the Roma community to a long distance race, and warned the Roma not to expect too much too soon. They should, he said, be willing to accept compromises.
"If this pilot project proves a success, we could then offer it to other countries with similar problems," said Schuster.


Kukan: Slovakia will closely monitor Austrian cabinet

Foreign Affairs Minister Eduard Kukan said at a February 14 press conference in Bratislava that Slovakia would closely monitor the activities of the new Austrian government which includes the Freedom Party of right-wing nationalist Jörg Haider.
The areas of the statement in question concern sections about the enlargement process of the European Union, restitution and privatisation claims, shutting down nuclear reactors in former eastern bloc countries and reimbursing the survivors of forced labour camps on Austrian territory.


Compiled by Chris Togneri from SITA

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