European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 28, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Czechs choose Havel to Lead new Republic Prague czech Republic apr Vaclav Havel who helped Czechoslovakia break free of communism but As president  Stop it from splitting in two was elected president of the new czech Republic on tuesday. A playwright who led the 1989 a velvet revolution a Havel was Czechoslovakia a first Post communist president and remains the Best known czech politician at Home and abroad. Even Many of his opponents said they could imagine no one else As the new republics first president. He easily Defeated his Only two opponents winning 109 votes m the 200-member parliament As the nominee of the four party governing coalition of Premier Vaclav Klaus Marie St Borova of the communist party received 49 votes and Miroslav Sladek of the extreme right republicans had Only 14. He will be inaugurated next tuesday for a five year term. A i thank the parliament for the Confidence it has expressed in me by electing me the first president of the czech Republic Quot Havel 56, said after the vote. Later he told reporters that he was Quot More experienced and Wiser than when he first served. Meanwhile Slovakia a parliament failed wednesday for the second time to elect a president for the new state. Roman Koyack the nominee of Premier Vladimir me Ciary a governing movement for a democratic Slovakia won 78 votes in the 150-seat legislature Short of the 90 needed to win czech radio reported. His rival in the Runoff vote Milan Ftacnik of the democratic left a party of former communists got 31 votes the radio said. A a the two competed in a Runoff after none of four candidates received the required three fifths majority in a vote on tuesday. A second round election open to new candidates is to be held in two weeks. Both successor states have opted for parliamentary democracies with relatively weak presidencies. Most of the executive Powers rest with their premiers. In their Prague apartment tuesday Vaclav Havel and hit wife Olga watch television coverage of parliamentary debates preceding Havel so selection As first president of the czech Republic. As czech president Havel will be Able to negotiate International treaties and exercise limited veto Power Over legislation. He also will be commander in chief of the military. Havel selection was delayed for hours while a few extreme right Wing parliamentary deputies took advantage of the televised debate to accuse Havel of among other things having ties to the former communist secret police. Havel becomes president of a state he hoped would never have to exist. Despite his efforts the czech and slovak republics split on Jan. 1 after failing to reconcile deep differences Over economic reforms. Politicians in the larger czech Republic with 10 million people favored Swift conversion to a free Market system. But such reforms hit hard in Slovakia the old federations poorer Eastern third which is saddled with inefficient communist Era industries. Unemployment among its 5 million people has topped 12 percent during the past three years. Balloon Brouhaha hits mock . By Rosemary Sawyer Brussels Bureau the Hague Netherlands a As the 25th anniversary session of a mock . Assembly opened wednesday an environmentally conscious Ramstein High school senior threatened to let the air out of the balloon for the events organizers. In a petition Evan Zislis asked the nearly 2,800 High school students taking part in the Hague International Model United nations to pop rather than free helium filled balloons during a scheduled launch marking the programs Silver anniversary a a it a a real danger a said Zislis who has the role of Mongolia s environmental committee member at the we Klong conference. �?o1 did no to just do it to make a  however conference organizers including the Model , Secretary general did no to see it that Way. Right before the launch Zislis was asked to Tell his fellow delegates 300 of whom signed the petition that they should refrain from popping the balloons. Secretary general Natalia von Mensdorf Pouilly asked student delegates to cooperate adding a you do not go to somebody else a birthday party and blow out the  Zislis argued that the balloons could be particularly dangerous in the Hague since Birds flying near the North sea City a can choke on the rubber and get tangled in the strings and often in the rubber  the hot air Over the balloons occurred following opening ceremonies for the event that has attracted youths from 163 English language schools including 30 department of defense dependents schools. Conference organizers considered the environment when putting together this years anniversary event said Mensdorf Pouilly a Junior at the German school of the Hague. For example they ordered biodegradable balloons for the launch and used recycled paper for tags that Hung from balloon strings. Zislis called it a outstanding Quot that the More expensive balloons were ordered but said their biodegradable composition did t Lessen their threat to the environment. As for the popping prohibition Mensdorf Pouilly said they thought bursting the balloons was a slightly undemocratic and a a unparliamentary because it would ruin the event for others. Instead organizers gave delegates concerned about releasing the balloons the option of holding on to them. Wei Brincken High school senior John Gannon said he understood the Rule even though he was one of the first to sign the petition a i guess to keep with the spirit we should t interfere with the festivities by popping them even though we actually should t pollute the environment Quot said Gannon a ugandan Delegate. Niernberg High school sophomores John smart and Louis Casinelli weren t sympathetic to Zislis stance. A i really done to agree that these Are harmful to the environment a smart said balloon in hand. A i think that they were just trying to ruin the  Casinelli who along with smart represents Norway said a there was no Point to the balloon Brouhaha. A a it a just a waste of time a he said. The balloons a Are going to just go away then people Are going to pick them up and throw them in the  with knife nabbed near party Leader Kassel Germany a police on tuesday arrested a 40-Ycaf-old woman who followed social democratic party Leader a Jim Engholm with a knife in her hand and shouted insults at him at a party rally. Police spokesman Rolf Dictor Jacob said the woman was arrested because she was carrying a Quot closed switchblade knife in her hand and was a few Steps behind Engholm when she yelled at him. Jacob said the incident occurred As Engholm was leaving a political rally in Kassel about 120 Miles North of Frankfurt. The woman was taken to a police station for questioning and an identity Check. She was released a Short time later Jacob said. He said the woman was known locally to police for writing a incoherent letters Quot to politicians. He  elaborate and could not immediately say whether charges would be filed. Engholm governor of the Northern state of Schleswig Holstein was in Kassel to speak at a rally for local social democratic politicians facing communal elections in March. The leftist opposition Leader is the party a. Designated candidate to run against conservative Chancellor Helmut Kohl in 1994 Federal  found in Austria Vienna Austria a the corpses of five Young men believed to be asians were found on a Highway parking lot South of Vienna austrian radio reported tuesday. Highway maintenance workers found the bodies around 9 . In be Oberndorf about 25 Miles South of the capital the radio said. The five men had no visible signs of injuries and. Apparently already were dead when dumped at the parking lot investigators said. West Southwest Germany expecting weekend Snow Frankfurt Germany a amps there a Good news for skiers in Germany a West and Southwest this weekend a spokesman for the German weather service said wednesday. A we expect it to Snow from thursday through sunday in the West and Southwest at elevations higher than 300 meters 990 feet Quot said Karlheinz Nottrodt a meteorologist with the weather Bureau. A the North and Northeast of the country will be dry and cold.�?�. Bavaria is not expected to receive any Snow Nottrodt said adding it will be cold there but skiing conditions will not improve. A skiing sledding snowboarding will probably be Best in the alg amp a Region and on the Foldberg in the Black Forest a he said. A the Allau Region is just North of Lake Constance. A Lack of Snow this season has kept skiers off Many slopes across Europe limiting skiing for the most part to High Alpine  worker killed in crash with Driver going wrong Way Heidelberg Germany a amps a an american Secretary who worked for the inspector general s office at . Army Europe Headquarters in Heidelberg died tuesday evening in a two vehicle crash on autobahn 6 cast of Kaiserslautern. Army officials Are withholding the 38-year-old civilian woman a name until relatives have been notified. The Accident occurred As the German Driver in the other vehicle was driving in the wrong direction on the autobahn according to the army s 26th area support group. The army employee who was alone in her eastbound vehicle was pronounced dead at 7 30 . At the Accident scene. The German was taken to a Hospital in Kaiserslautern with a broken leg and other injuries