Proclamation on the Establishment of Civic Forum
Annotation
For many years, opposition in Czechoslovakia was represented mainly by Charter 77, a group advocating human rights and peaceful, evolutionary change. By autumn 1989, the opposition community had grown and diversified so much that discussions were underway to unite the different groups into a common organization. This finally happened two days after the fateful November 17 demonstration, when independent representatives established Civic Forum. They were reacting to events already in motion. Like the government, the opposition misjudged the depth of public anger over November 17 and did not immediately exploit the opportunity it presented. Instead, students and actors took the initiative with their call for a general strike. Nevertheless, Civic Forum quickly assumed the leading role in the popular uprising. This proclamation presents its four initial demands, including the call for "round table" negotiations with the government. The "round table" formula emerged from the power-sharing talks between opposition and government in Poland and Hungary during 1988 and 1989. Rather than demanding the wholesale overthrow of the communist regime, negotiations demonstrated the opposition's commitment to a peaceful transfer of power. However, considering the accelerating pace of events in November 1989, this strategy was also strikingly moderate.
Text
Proclamation on the Establishment of Civic Forum
19 November 1989
PROCLAMATION
At the meeting in the Prague Theater Club on 19 November at 10:00 a.m. the
Civic Forum was established as the mouthpiece of that part of the Czechoslovak public
which is ever more critical toward the policies of the current Czechoslovak leadership
and which was recently deeply shaken by the brutal massacre of students who were
peacefully demonstrating. Charter 77, The Czechoslovak Helsinki Committee, The Circle
of Independent Intelligence, The Movement for Civic Freedom, Artforum, Renewal,
independent students, The Czechoslovak Democratic Initiative, VONS, The Independent
World Coalition, The Open Dialogue, The Czechoslovak PEN Club Center, several
member of the Czechoslovak Socialist Party, The Czechoslovak People’s Parties,
religious parties, creative and other associations, several former and current members of
the CPCz and other democratically minded citizens will take part in the work of this
forum. The Civic Forum feels itself competent to negotiate immediately with the
government about the critical situation in our country, to express the actual demands of
the public and to discuss the solutions.
The Civic Forum wishes to begin such negotiations, which should be the
beginning of a universal discussion on the future of Czechoslovakia, by a negotiation of
these urgent and ever more openly formulated demands:
1. That those members of the Presidium of the CC CPCz who are directly
connected with the preparation of the intervention by the five members of the Warsaw
Pact in the year 1968 and who are responsible for the years long devastation of all areas
of our society, immediately step down. These are, namely, Gustav Husak, Milos Jakes,
Jan Fojtík, Miloslav Zavadil, Karel Hofman and Alois Indra. The pernicious politics of
people, who for years refused any kind of democratic dialog with the society, completely
legally resulted in the terrible events of the last days.
2. That the First Secretary of the Municipal Committee (MC) CPCz in Prague
Miroslav Stepan and the Federal Minister of the Interior, Frantisek Kincl, who are
responsible for all of the measures which the police have carried out over the last few
months against the peaceful demonstrations of citizens, immediately step down.
3. That a committee be set up which would concretely investigate these measures,
find the culprits and propose punishments for them. Civic Forum representatives must be
included in this committee.
4. That all the criminals of conscience, including those who have been detained in
connection with the last demonstration, be immediately released.
The Civic Forum demands that this proclamation be published in the official
Czechoslovak media.
The Civic Forum stakes its authority behind the plan for a general strike on 27
November from 12:00 p.m. until 2:00 p.m., called by Prague university students, and
understands it to be an expression of support for the demands which it wants to discuss
with the state leader-ship.
The Civic Forum believes that its creation and task corresponds with the will of
the 40,000 current signatories of the petition Several Sentences, and is open to all the
constituents and forces of society whose concern is that our country should begin
peacefully finding the way to a democratic social order, and through it to economic
prosperity.
On behalf of the Civic Forum:
Eng. Rudolf Battek, PetrCepek, Vaclav Havel, Milan Hruska, Prof. Dr. Milan Jelinek,
Milan Knazko, Dr. Lubomir Kopecky CSc., Jiri Krizan, Vaclav Maly, Martin Mejstrík,
Petr Oslzly, Dr. Libor Paty CSc., Jana Petrova, Jan Ruml, Prof. Dr. Venek Silhan, Ondrej
Trojan, Eng. Josef Vavrousek CSc., Sasa Vondra.
Prague, 19 November 1989.
[Source: Ustav pro sodobe dejiny (USD), Akademie ved Ceske republiky (AV CR),
Koordinacní centrum Obcanskeho fora (KC OF) Archive, file Dokumenty OF.]
Credits
The Civic Forum, "Proclamation on the Establishment of Civic Forum," 19 November 1989, Cold War International History Project, Documents and Papers, CWIHP (accessed May 14, 2008).