Compact archive June 26, 2006

Well, I know that this is a little underground theme, but sewers are one of the most complexest and important structure in every city. Without that the living would be much bad smelling and even worse.

It is 100 years when Prague as a one of the first cities in Europe started to clean a sewage and therefore stopped bad smell in streets and in a river. Dozens of kilometers of sewers was made and the Prague sewage clarification plant started its work hundred years ago. The steam engines worked 20 years without stop. In 1967 the plant ended its work and the new one started at another place.

Today the canalization has 3,5 thousand kilometers. If is for you 100 years too small piece of history than let me tell you that oldest canalization in Prague is from 12th century and it was built for Strahov monastery.

Civic democrats won the elections. Christian union and Green party joined with Civic democrats to create a coalition and new government. Today they signed the deal and tomorrow the Chamber of Deputies has the constitutive meeting. There will be proposed the new Government with their deal.

After that the new Government usually takes a place after the old one. After the constitutive meeting the new Government has exactly 30 days to gain the confidence (or agreement) of the Chamber. And this is for upcoming Government a problem.

Coalition has 100 seats out of 200 and this means that it required one more seat to have majority necessary to gain the confidence. The rest of 200 seats has biggest rival of Civic Democrats – Social Democrats and Communistic Party.

So there is only one chance to create the Government: to gain any kind of support of Social democrats. This mean a heavy negotiation, because Social Democrats cannot accept some points of coalition programme at all cost and Civic democrats want to realize this points at same cost.

So this will be very interesting. If the upcoming Government wouldn’t gain the confidence, the new government would be set.

Prague was a witness of surprising event. Sixty ladies dressed in beautiful kimonos presented their traditional clothes in Prague streets where they took a walk. The ladies was a wives of famous kimono producers.

They wanted to give a notice about Japan culture and traditions. Kimonos are traditional and ceremonial clothes and they are worn in Japan feasts or in some professions.

This walk-presentation has a great success and the surroundings was excited. The kimonos was made of natural silk and the cost of one of them is 200 000 crowns.

New ferry is at Vltava river in Prague. This un-bridged transport across the river is second in a row and it is at the north of the Prague. The first one is one years old and it is between Prague parts Sedlec and Bohnice.

The ferry transport is between Sedlec and Zamky and it will also transport bikes, baby coaches or animals. This will also give a new access to Troja, where “Prague zoo” is and it connect a bike traces.

The cost of the ferry is simple: you can use an ordinary PRI transport ticket.

United Islands festival, which has this year many celebrities like Placebo, Medeski, Martin &Wood or Khaled was maybe this year for a last time.

Why? It is because the festival wasn’t able to make money for itself and the producer has a great loss. Although the number of visitors was double than last year – about 15 000 – it is not enough for funding the festival. As a chief organiser David Gaydecka says, the big problem was that the Islands was not able to find a general partner.

United Island of Prague has over 100 music bands, interpreters and DJs from 20 countries. There was no problem with visitors and performers during the festival as well as with their health.

The elections to Chamber of Deputies was three weeks ago and today was signed a coalition agreement of right wing parties: Civic Democrats (ODS), Christian union (KDU-CSL) and Green Party (SZ). All minister seats are divided and the government programme is created.

Prime minister is Mirek Topolanek, the leader of ODS, his party has 9 minister seats. KDU has three seats – Ministry of the country, Ministry of Defence and Culture. Greens has Environment, Education and Head seat of Legislative Government Council. The rest is for ODS.

The coalition deal contains conjunction of coalition programs and also an agreement that all parties will have work uniformly until the end of electoral term, even the coalition will lose the government. Deal presents among other open and friendly relationships with European Union and NATO, free of charge education, a simplification of the law, restriction of legislative immunity, unitary tax, the end of the rent control or bigger focusing at environment.

Jetix Kids Awards is something like kids Oscar Awards. Kids vote in some categories via the Internet or a regular mail. The ceremonial was on Sunday and over a thousand children with their parents visited this event in Central park Prague 4, Kavci hory, were is also a home of Czech television.

Jetix is television station for kids and this year was second volume of the award. Over 25 000 kids voted for their favourites.

And here are the results:
Music band: Chinaski
Singer men: Daniel Landa
Singer women: Aneta Langerova
TV moderator: Tereza Pergnerova, moderator of Reality show Vyvoleni 2
Celebrity of a year men: Vaclav Klaus, the president of Czech Republic
Celebrity of a year women: Vendula Svobodova, the president of Kapka nadeje foundation, what helps to disabled kids
Sportsman: Jaromir Jagr, NHL hockey player
Book: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, by J.K.Rowling