RADIO FREE EUROPE/RADIO LIBERTY, PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC
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RFE/RL NEWSLINE Vol 2, No. 184, 23 September 1998

MECIAR SAYS HZDS WILL WIN ELECTIONS. Addressing the last
rally of the Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) before
the 25-26 September elections, Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar
told his supporters on 22 September that the HZDS  is "more
powerful" than any other party and that he "has no doubt that
we will win these elections," RFE/RL's Bratislava bureau
reported. Meciar also said he is ready to conduct coalition
negotiations with any party except the Hungarian Coalition,
which he called "irredentist." At the same time, he ruled out
forming a minority government. In an interview with RFE/RL on
22 September, former President Michal Kovac said he fears
that either the elections will be canceled or the HZDS will
tamper with the results. MS

HUNGARY READY TO HELP SET UP UNIVERSITY IN TRANSYLVANIA.  The
Hungarian government is prepared to help set up a private
Hungarian-language university in Romania, State Secretary
Tibor Szabo, who is also chairman of the Office for
Hungarians Beyond the Borders, said on 21 September during
his visit to eastern Transylvania. He told his hosts from the
Hungarian Democratic Federation of Romania that the cabinet
has decided to set up three committees to study the social,
economic, and administrative aspects of granting Hungarian
citizenship to ethnic Hungarians abroad. MSZ

NATO OFFICIAL IN HUNGARY. General Jeremy MacKenzie, NATO's
deputy supreme allied commander for Europe, on 22 September
disagreed with a statement by the Hungarian, Czech and Polish
defense ministers saying the three applicants could join the
alliance  earlier than planned (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 22
September 1998). He said  the outcome of discussions on
bringing forward  the date for expanding the alliance is "far
from clear." Hungary's chief commander, General Ferenc Vegh,
told MacKenzie that three generals and 70 officers from
Hungary will join the NATO command at various levels once
Hungary become a member of the alliance. MSZ

ROMANIAN PRESIDENT WANTS COALITION TO EXIST TILL 2004.
President Emil Constantinescu on 22 September met separately
with leaders of the Democratic Party and the Hungarian
Democratic Federation of Romania (UDMR). Mediafax reported
that Constantinescu said the present ruling coalition must
reach agreements facilitating its continued existence till
2004. Alexandru Sassu, who led the Democrats' team, said that
his party cannot give a "blank check" to the coalition and
that its support depends on whether a solution can be found
to such urgent problems as privatization and restructuring
"within six months." Constantinescu told the UDMR that he
supports finding a compromise on the Hungarian-language state
university that would be backed by a large majority in the
parliament. But  the same day, the Chamber of Deputies'
Education Commission voted against resuming the discussion of
the article in the amended education law that forbids state
universities in national minority languages. MS

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