RFE/RL NEWSLINE 
Vol. 2, No. 11, 19 January 1998

ODS DISSENTERS FORM NEW PARTY. Meeting in Litomysl,
eastern Bohemia, on 17 January, the Freedom Union formally
ended its activities in the ODS, CTK reported. Former Interior
Minister Jan Ruml, who is running for chairman of the union,
said a national conference of the new formation should meet in
five weeks. Former Finance Minister Ivan Pilip said the union
should draw up a new program for the formation. In other
news, the chiefs of staff of the Czech, Polish and Hungarian
armies, met at Komorni Hradek, near Prague, on 17 January and
agreed to coordinate arms procurement. Czech chief of staff
Jiri Nekvasil said joint purchases and repairs of army
equipment are much cheaper than separate deals. MS

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