Happy Velvet Revolution Day.

Three relevant articles from Radio Prague:

1. 14th anniversary of Velvet Revolution

On Friday, November 17th 1989 a brutal attack on a peaceful student march triggered six short weeks of protest demonstrations that led to the definite end of Communist control in Czechoslovakia. Vaclav Bartuska, was a student leader at the time:

"Well, with every passing year, November 17 looks more and more like a fairy tale because the change which happened here in this country in 1989 was so quick, fast and so unexpected by most of us that it's just unbelievable. The country was so stable, so rigid, so boring before '89....

2. Communist Party consolidates position as country's second strongest force. "The Communists are the only ones who really show very stable opinions as well as a stable structure within the party, unlike the rest of the parties, for example the Social Democrats."

Vaclav Klaus and Milos Zeman always wanted a two-party system. I'm not sure ODS vs. the Communists is what they had in mind. Is this really happening?

3. Amnesty International declares former president Vaclav Havel as Ambassador of Conscience