Czechoslovak Premier Threatens to

Resign; Adamec Says He Will Not Bow to

`Ultimatums' Over Composition of New
Government
Article from:The Washington Post Article 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 democracy
movement 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 his
choices 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

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 the
democracy 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
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 Civic

Forum 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
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
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.