Amerikai Magyar Szó, 1989. január-június (43. évfolyam, 1-26. szám)

1989-03-09 / 10. szám

Thursday, March 9. 1989. AMERIKAI MAGYAR SZO 11. REPRINTED FROM THE FINANCIAL TIMES j Every Monday morning at about 10 o'clock, 30 Hungarians congregate in a room on the first floor of a Budapest office block. They sit at a long rectangular table, each clasping two pages of statistics. A chair­woman stands up and calls into a micro­phone to start proceedings. This is Budapest's stock exchange. The recent inauguration of a stock market is part of a package of reforms that may change the face of Hungarian socialism. And the future of these reforms will be closely observed in the communist world, not least in the Kremlin. Hungary has been the outstanding pioneer of economic reform in the East bloc, ever since Mr, János Kadar, the former party leader, introduced the New Economic Mecha­nism in 1968. In recent years, Moscow has set great store by the country's example, especially since a number of recent Soviet reforms, such as those in agriculture, were first kindled on Hungarian territory. Mr. Gorbachev and the Hungarians share the same goal: the introduction of Western- style reform that does not compromise the party's leading role. Hungary's results so far have been mixed. The New Economic Mechanism has ended the principle of direct central planning and has given enterprise managers some room for initiative. A degree of private enterprise has been permitted. But in practice, the reform has only brought change to agriculture and to the retail sector, both of which have flourished. In industry, state subsidies remain excessi­ve and the Government has continued to prop up factories that would otherwise have gone to the wall. But there is change on the horizon. In the next few weeks, the Hungarian Parli­ament will vote on what could be the most ambitious economic reform undertaken in the East bloc. It is a two-pronged prog­ramme that on the one hand will reduce state subsidies and increase the liquidity of the economy; and on the other, it sets up some of the financial institutions fami­liar to capitalism. The law gives private entrepreneurs the opportunity to raise capital from a variety of sources, ranging from the next door neighbour to one of the half dozen lending banks set up recently. The legislation is most welcome to Mr. Zoltán Csornai. He heads an "innovation centre" in the north-east town of Miskolc where he finds financial backing for pri­vate firms at the embryo stage. "There are 15 companies here that have been wait­ing to raise capital under the new Associa­tions Law," he says. "So far people setting up companies have mainly had to invest their own money in ventures but this law provides a much wider opportunity." The law is also important to Hungary's leading enterprises. Several management boards have already liquidated themsel­ves and issued a 100 per cent share flota­tion. Skala, Budapest's largest department store, was until recently owned by the state. It is now owned by a group of agricul­tural co-operatives. Medicorp, a large company manufacturing medical instru­ments, has also undergone a 100 per cent flotation and is attracting foreign share­holders. EDITORIAL Michail Gorbachev visited Chernobyl last week. The peacetime nuclear disaster approaches its third anniversary. Speaking to party officials, Mr. Gorbachev spoke emotionally of the degradation of Soviet air, soil and water, hailed the birth of an unofficial environmental movement here and promised that a comprehensive prog­ram of environmental protection would soon be unveiled. "Any project ought to undergo strict scientific examination for possible harm to the environment and in disputed cases should be subjected to referendum" — the Soviet leader said. This marks a new development in the expanding structure of Glasnost. In the Soviet Union they "voted" by protest on a nuclear power plant in Armenia. The plant was closed. At least five other plants planned or under construction have been cancelled. Voting on these matters is a method whose time has come. People should have a say in any matter that effects their living condition. Which brings to mind the proposed dam on the Danube in Hungary. We referred to it in our issue of January 12, 1989. Hun­garians demonstrated againts the dam September 6. 1988 in Budapest. We think Gorbachev's proposal applies here and we suggest the Hungarian government rethink its decision on the dam and let the voice of the people be heard. Bernard Kransdorf and Jack Bobrow editors Innovations in Hungary The National Assembly of the Hungarian People's Republic welcomes the Message issued by Pope John Paul II on 1 January 1989, International Day of Peace, and regards it as an important move in furtherance of peaceful coexistence among all States and peoples. It agrees that respect for the rights of ethnic, national and religious minorities is a sine qua non for the mainte­nance of peace and that the individual and collective rights of minorities form a particularly important part of general human rights. It expresses the conviction that, in view of its international implica­tions, this question cannot be considered by any State to be one exclusively within its own jurisdiction. On this occasion the National Assembly of the Hungarian People's Republic reaffirms its recognition of the inalienable dignity of each individual without distinction as to race, culture, nationality or religion. It deems it important to keep in view the fundamental unity of the human race, which implies an obligation for mutual solidarity. It emphasizes the responsibility and duty of States to secure the conditions for the existence of minorities without discrimina­tion. It wishes to continue its legislative activity in this spirit. The National Assembly of the Hungarian People's Republic is certain that the state­ment of Pope John Paul II will meet with unanimous support on the part of churches, political and social organizations, and all progressive and patriotic forces in Hungary. It is convinced that it is both necessary and possible for the legislatures- and govern­ments of all States to build broad coopera­tion in pursuit of the goals set forth in the papal Message. New Hungarian Constitution To Yield Some Party Primacy BUDAPEST, Feb. 20 (Reuters) — Hungary's leaders agreed today to drop the constitu­tional guarantee of a leading political role for the Communist Party when a new char- ter is published this year. The party Central Committee adopted a report by a Politburo member, György Fejti, who said, "We see no sense in the constitutional formulation of the leading role of the Hungarian Socialist Workers Party." BITS AND PIECES The lawyer is trying to convince his client's wife that she should consent to a divorce. "Not unless my husband agrees to leave me the way he found me," insists the wife. "And how was that?" the lawyer inquires. "Widowed!" and the cNIdren shall inherit the debts of their fathet

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