Divorce complications in Czechoslovakia

PRAGUE (AFP) - The Czechoslovak parliament yesterday adopted a resolution urging the creation of a 'Czech-Slovak Union' to replace the current Czechoslovak federation. The parliament had earlier rejected a change in the federal constitution which would have allowed the country to divide without a referendum.

The new resolution, which would keep the two states together in a union not unlike the current federation, was supported by the Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) of the Slovak Prime Minister, Vladimir Meciar. It goes against the political accords reached this summer between Mr Meciar and the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) of the Czech Prime Minister, Vaclav Klaus.

Both Mr Klaus and Mr Meciar have opposed a referendum, whose outcome would be uncertain, and voted for the change. The opposition either voted against or abstained. The aim of the proposed bill was to provide a framework for the division of the Czech and Slovak areas of Czechoslovakia into separate sovereign states.