Communist Party leaders agreed Tuesday to proposals that would bring an end to their monopoly on power in Czechoslovakia and allow for a coalition government including other political parties.
The dramatic move followed a two-hour meeting between Prime Minister Ladislav Adamec and the Civic Forum, the 9-day-old opposition organization led by renowned playwright Vaclaz Havel.The announcement, the latest step in a series of surprising reforms in Eastern Europe, came a day after millions of Czechoslovaks walked off their jobs for a two-hour general strike to oppose one-party rule - another dramatic manifestation of a peaceful revolution interrupted 21 years ago when Warsaw Pact tanks snuffed out the reform-minded Prague Spring.
"By Dec. 3, we will propose to the president of the republic (Gustav Husak) to appoint a government with a new composition," said Marian Calfa, a minister without portfolio representing legal affairs.
"It is expected it will be a government with a broad coalition base, which will include representatives of non-partisan character, other political parties and at the same time, of course, the Communist Party."
Calfa made the announcement at a five-minute news conference. He did not take questions.
Calfa issued a statement to reporters saying the government would be composed primarily of "experts and professionals."
Up to now, many high-level government officials were trained only in party work and had no expertise in the field they administered.
Calfa also said the government would ask parliament to eliminate three articles in the constitution, including parts guaranteeing the Communist Party the leading role in political affairs and requiring a Marxist-Leninist-based education.
"This concept will be replaced by the concept that education is being carried out in harmony with scientific knowledge," Calfa said.
The third article to be dropped outlaws groups not allied with the National Front, a pro-government umbrella organization for political activities. In the past, non-Communist groups have been allowed to join the National Front but such groups had to be allied with the Communist Party.
Calfa, answering another key demand of the Civic Forum, said Adamec would ask Prague authorities to provide premises for activities of the opposition group.
Referring to the past week of rallies and Monday's two-hour general strike, Calfa said, "The original excited atmosphere has changed in the course of negotiations into a constructive atmosphere in a mutual endeavor to find positive ways out from the present situation in Czechoslovakia."
The developments are expected to satisfy many of the chief demands of the Civic Forum, which was established Nov. 19 following national outrage over police beatings of students during demonstrations two days earlier.
The police violence triggered 11 days of rallies and demonstrations around the country.
But the Civic Forum has announced it was suspending its nationwide strike movement and would set up coordination centers to link the many local Civic Forums that have sprung up since the creation of the group.
"The demands of the Civic Forum have already been partially fulfilled and the coordination centers will monitor their final fulfillment," said spokesman Jiri Dinstbier in announcing suspension of the strikes.
The announcement by Calfa, in which the government further bowed to Civic Forum demands, came after eight members of the oppositionm group met with Adamec to demand the formation of a coalition government that would implement political reforms in Czechoslovakia.