CZECH REPUBLIC: COLOURFUL CANDIDATES ENLIVEN CONTRY'S FIRST EUROPEAN PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS.

Record ID: 588595

  • Title: CZECH REPUBLIC: COLOURFUL CANDIDATES ENLIVEN CONTRY'S FIRST EUROPEAN PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS.
  • Date: 10th June 2004
  • Summary: (CEEF) PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC (8 JUNE, 2004) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. GV: WIDE OF SQUARE 0.02 2. LAS: ST. WENCESLAS STATUE 0.06 3. CU/TRACK: CHAIN PROTECTING THE STATUE 0.14 4. MV: SINGER JAROSLAV HUTKA SIGNING 0.25 5. MV: DISTRIBUTION OF PARTY PROGRAM AND LEAFLETS 0.29 6. MV/GV: CHAIRMAN OF BALBIN POETIC PARTY, JIRI HRDINA, SPEAKING TO PEOPLE (2 SHOTS) 0.41 7. MV: GIRL (HUTKAS DAUGHTER) HOLDING THE CUSHION WITH SCREW DRIVERS 0.44 8. MV/CU: (SOUNDBITE) (Czech) JIRI HRDINA ARGUING WITH A POLICEMEN, SAYING: "This one is not a cultural memorial, this was put here by the communists in 1975, I am going to screw (the chain link fence) it out."; (SOUNDBITE) (Czech) JIRI HRDINA ARGUING WITH POLICE: "it has doesn't belong here" (2 SHOTS) 1.02 9. CU: SIGN BEFORE THE CHAIN: "IN EUROPE WITHOUT CHAINS" 1.07 10. MV: POLICEMAN TAKES OUT JIRI HRDINAS SCREW DRIVER 1.15 11. MV/CU: JIRI HRDINA DISCUSSING WITH POLICEMEN AND SPEAKS TO PEOPLE (2 SHOTS) 1.31 12. (SOUNDBITE) (Czech) JIRI HRDINA SAYING: "One year from now on the 8th of June we will meet here again - bring your own screw driver!" 1.40 13. MCU: NORA BAUMBERGER, KNOW AS DOLLY BUSTER, STANDING OUTSDIE CAFE 1.45 14. GV: PAINTINGS BY SEX COMIC ARTIST KAJA SAUDEK 1.48 15. MV/CU: BAUMBERGER SITTING WITH SUPPORTERS IN CAFE; BAUMBERGER WRITING MESSAGE INTO CAFE VISITORS BOOK (2 SHOTS) 2.03 16. CU: PAINTING 2.06 17. CU/PAN/ZOOM/MV: COMICS PAINTER KAJA SAUDEK SITTING AT TABLE AND BAUMBERGER, BAUMBERGER SIGNING THE BOOK, PEOPLE SITTING 2.25 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 25th June 2004 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC
  • Reuters ID: LVA72E5FZF3RKZ03TOUTNUJ556GD
  • Story Text: With voting only two days away, some unique Czech
    candidates are turning up the heat.



    Just days before voting in the Czech Republic's
    first European parliamentary election, the campaign is
    heating up.

    Recent polls are giving the Civic Democrats of
    President Vaclav Klaus 28 percent of the vote, and the
    communist party some 18 percent.

    But thats not stopping the tiny "Balbin Party", a
    gathering of poets and artists dedicated to fighting
    bureaucracy in government, from staging rallies in the
    capital Prague.

    Just one issue on the Balbin party agenda is a
    chain-link fence, which was placed around a statue of St.

    Wenceslas in the center of Prague by the communist regime.

    A Czech national symbol, the statue was the meeting
    point for demonstrations leading up to the 1968 revolution.

    Balbin insist the fence should be removed, and say that if
    the goverment doesn't act they will do it themselves.

    On Tuesday (June 8) Balbin party Chairman Jaroslav
    Hutka, a well known singer, turned up with supporters
    trying to remove the fence.

    "This is not a cultural memorial, this was put here by
    the Communists in 1975, i am going to screw it (the chain
    link fence) out." Party Chairman Jiri Hrdina said.

    Although police stopped the protesters from removing the
    chain, Hrdina promises that if elected he will make sure
    the offensive reminder of communist times, is finally
    removed. Meanwhile ex-porn star Nora Baumberger, better known as
    Dolly Buster, has also been on the campaign trail. A
    candidate with the independent party Nezavisla Iniciativa
    (NEI), Baumberger said she has been was moved by "helpless
    people" to run for office..
    Her latest campaign promise includes of more pornography
    and football on television. Although her campaign may not
    be as provocative as the famous Italian porn star turned
    politician, Cicolina, Baumberger has nevertheless captured
    the media's attention.

    On Tuesday Baumberger joined supporters in a Prague cafe
    dedicated to the work of sex comic artist, Kaja Saudek, who
    is also a member of NEI.




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