President Vaclav Havel, the dissident playwright who led Czechoslovakia's peaceful revolt against communism, formally resigned Monday as the federation moves toward disintegration.
"The Czech and Slovak federative republic does not have a president anymore," said state radio. The report said the presidential flag had been lowered over Prague castle, seat of the presidency.Havel announced his resignation plans Friday, moments after the parliament of the poorer eastern republic of Slovakia declared sovereignty. The move was the latest step toward what has become an almost certain division of the country into separate Czech and Slovak states.
Havel made no immediate statement Monday. In his last weekly radio address as president, he said Sunday that he still believed Czechoslovakia should not break up after 74 years of union.
"A common state would be better, I do think that even today . . . but I am a realist," he said.
The Westward-looking Czechs, about 10 million of the nation's 15 million people, generally want to push ahead quickly with economic reforms regardless of the short-term pain in order to put the legacy of communist rule behind them.
The Slovak region is saddled with much higher unemployment and more inefficient communist-era heavy industry, and its leaders argued that economic reform in their region must be slower and tailored to Slovaks' needs.
"The emancipation efforts in the Slovak society are stronger than we federalists thought . . . and I have to respect it. And I have no right to be disappointed," Havel said Sunday.
He could have stayed in office until his term expired Oct. 5, but his early resignation had been expected as the breakup he fought to prevent became inevitable.
During the communist years, Havel was harassed and imprisoned for his dogged criticism of Czechoslovakia's rulers. He became president 21/2 years ago after the non-violent "Velvet Revolution" that forced out the authoritarian government.