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POLITICAL NEGOTIATIONS, REFORMED GOVERNMENT AND PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
With the demise of the Communist Party's leading role, roundtable discussions between opposition leaders and communists sought to hammer out the new institutions of national power. As the general strike's overwhelming success had greatly strengthened the opposition's bargaining position, on November 28, its representatives gave Prime Minister Ladislav Adamec, a communist, the mandate to form a new federal government by December 3. The new government was expected to pave the way towards democracy, ensure fundamental civil rights and freedoms, and implement the necessary economic reforms. Gustáv Husák was also expected to resign as president by December 10.
In the new Adamec-assembled federal government, the ratio of communists to non-communists was 15:5-a lack of respect for the demonstrators' demands for genuine social change that triggered a wave of mass protests. The threat of another general strike forced the government to resign, and the communists continued round-table negotiations with the opposition in early December where the opposition and prime minister agreed on a radical overhaul of the government, led by communist minister Marian Čalfa. His 20-minister government, including nine communists, was appointed on December 10, 1989 following the resignation of President Gustáv Husák. It was the first government since 1948 without a communist majority. This government of 'national understanding' aimed to lead society towards the democratic elections planned for June 1990, with political governance changes at the federal and republic levels.
In December 1989 the co-optation of deputies to federal and republic parliaments began. The new members of parliament replaced part of the communist regime so that the parliamentary compositions would at least partly reflect the current political situation. Following the reconstruction of governments and changes in representative bodies, the key remaining issue was the election of a new president, the main candidates being Alexander Dubček and Václav Havel. Negotiations were lengthy and complex-both round-table and behind-the-scenes. With support from the decisive political forces, Civic Forum and Public Against Violence, Václav Havel was eventually granted the candidacy. He was unanimously elected Czechoslovakia's president at the December 29, 1989 parliamentary election, and Alexander Dubček was appointed the Federal Assembly chairman. |