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Czechoslovak Premier Threatens to

Resign; Adamec Says He Will Not Bow to

`Ultimatums' Over Composition of NewGovernment

Article from:The Washington PostArticle date:December 7, 1989 Author:

Dan Morgan

Czechoslovak Communist Premier Ladislav Adamec, faced with

broad demands from the country's mass democracy movement,

warned tonight that he would not bow to "ultimatums" and would quit

if he could not pick his own government.

Addressing the nation on radio and television, Adamec said he

supports change, economic reform and the need for elections as

soon as possible. But he said that to compose a government "by

percentage, according to a political formula . . . would only lead to

permanent crisis, since the mood changes every day."

Adamec issued the warning as his weakened government came

under increasing pressure from the Civic Forum democracymovement to name a new national government at least half of

whose members would be non-Communists. On Tuesday, the

provincial government in the Czech republic-the larger of the two

semiautonomous regions that make up Czechoslovakia-was

reshuffled to give the Communists only eight of 17 seats.

Earlier in the day, Civic Forum's leader, playwright Vaclav Havel,

said Adamec had promised to show the group's negotiators hischoices for a revised cabinet on Friday. But sources said the prime

minister was becoming frustrated with the escalating demands of

Civic Forum, which at first had declined any role in the government.

The resignation of Adamec, in the middle of tense negotiations over

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the formation of a new government, would put the nation in

uncharted constitutional waters. Adamec has the support of Civic

Forum to negotiate a deal with Communist Party hard-liners that

would bring more politically unaffiliated people into the cabinet. It is

unclear who would play the role of mediator if he quits. Civic Forum

has demanded the resignation of President Gustav Husak by

Sunday and has threatened a national strike if he does not step

down.

A senior member of Civic Forum, expressing private views, called

Adamec's speech "not astute" and said the prime minister appeared

to be trying to scare citizens into believing the country would sink

into Polish-style instability and economic chaos if he gave in to thedemocracy movement's demands.

The prime minister reportedly has resisted Civic Forum's demands

that he make major changes in the current government, announced

only last weekend, in which Communists controlled 16 posts

compared to only five for non-Communists. Tonight, Adamec said

that "to give way to all demands would only mean a worsening of the

situation . . . and would lead to economic losses."

"I cannot accept ultimatums, and I cannot act under pressure," he

said.

Although the Czechoslovak legislature recently abolished the

Communist Party's guaranteed "leading role" in government, hard-

line Communists reportedly have been slow to adjust to the new

situation after decades of unchallenged power. One observer

suggested that Adamec has become isolated and is feeling pressure

from both the party's old guard and Civic Forum.

Communist Party leader Karel Urbanek acknowledged during an

unprecedented, 75-minute meeting with top Civic Forum

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representatives today that local party bosses "did not want to

understand" that the party no longer endorses monopoly power.

Havel reported after the meeting that Urbanek had accepted the

need for the party to "transform itself radically."

The rapid pace of change already has caused previously

unthinkable realignments of power. Urbanek told Havel and his

group today, for example, that the Communist Party's paramilitary

People's Militia had turned in its weapons to army garrisons and

would henceforth be assigned to duty "taking care of the aftermath

of catastrophes." Later in the day, a spokesman for the party's

policy-making Central Committee said that the feared plainclothes

state security police would be reassigned to "anti-drug" work.

Meanwhile, a Civic Forum offshoot calling itself Military Forum has

been formed in the armed services. Military Forum's proposals

include shortening army service from two years to 18 months and

devoting six of those months to helping the economy. Military Forum

also called for abolition of Communist Party cells in army units.

Although details about the unprecedented meeting between CivicForum and Urbanek were not given, an informed source said

Havel's delegation had emerged from the meeting euphoric at the

"space" that the party leaders seemed ready to yield.

Communist hard-liners, however, appear to be staking their hopes

for salvaging some of their power on continued strong

representation in the government. Party officials have been

stressing that they have "responsible" members ready to help with

the transition to a new model for society.

But the party's position has been deteriorating with dramatic speed.

Thousands of its members have resigned since police brutally broke

up a demonstration in Prague on Nov. 17. On Tuesday, a

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commission made up of students and members of the national

legislature, or Federal Assembly, recommended that Milos Jakes,

the party leader until Nov. 24, be dismissed from the assembly for

his role in the Nov. 17 events. Jakes told the state news agency

today that he refused to take responsibility and that a decision had

been made that the police would not interfere in the demonstration.

Meanwhile, a new group of reform Communists called Democratic

Forum has begun operating inside the party, and scores of other

present and former party members are expected to defect to new

socialist and democratic parties now being formed. Former foreign

minister Jiri Hajek, who served during the "Prague Spring"

government reform drive of 1968 and was banished from the party,has been leading a group of old reformers called Obroda. But Hajek

said in an interview today that he plans to support a new social

democratic party and will not renew his membership.

Hajek said the speed with which Communists have been

abandoning their positions in recent days calls into question the

depth of their commitment.

A resignation by Adamec would further confuse the situation. Vaclav

Klaus, an economist and top strategist with Civic Forum, praised

Adamec this week for undertaking economic reforms well before the

recent turmoil.

At one point in his address tonight, Adamec invoked the name of

Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, a popular figure here, and

hinted that Czechoslovakia could face major economic problems if

instability caused it to lose the "understanding" of the Soviet Union.

"Comrade Gorbachev understands our problems, and he

understands Czechoslovak interests," Adamec said. "This

understanding guarantees the stability of our economy, which is

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dependent on supplies of raw material and energy from the Soviet

Union."

Sources here said there is no indication that Gorbachev is

committed to the continuation of a Communist-led government here.Civic Forum spokesmen have said that their movement would accept

a Communist defense minister, and a draft constitution proposed by

Civic Forum envisions continued membership in the Warsaw Pact.