The measures will concern two garrison orchestras in Prague and one in Hradec Kralove, east Bohemia, as well as the Military Music Conservatory in Roudnice, central Bohemia. Moreover no civilian employees will work in military orchestras any more, Tyden says. "We have lowered the number of soldiers, so it is not possible for every garrison to have its own orchestra," Defence Ministry spokesman Andrej Cirtek told Tyden. The Czech military has now over 38,000 employees.
By 2011, their number should decrease by 4000. "Chief of staff [Vlastimil Picek] explained the abolition by economic reasons," Miroslav Bulin, conductor of the Prague Garrison Music, told Tyden. He, however, added that Czech President, wife may be sued over flat in Prague - server ...
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Largest number of children since 1993 born in CzechRep last year ... this step would not considerably save finances for the military, in his opinion. The Defence Ministry plans to save up to 23 million crowns a year for salaries of 59 musicians and the orchestras' operation. Nevertheless, this sum is relatively low compared to the military expenditures, Tyden points out. Moreover, the military orchestras bought expensive music instruments last year that will probably end in storehouses or the Military Historical Institute. Defence Minister Vlasta Parkanova (Christian Democrats, KDU-CSL), who became "famous" with her recording of a song celebrating the planned U.S. radar base on Czech soil, refused to comment on the abolition of the military orchestras. Some of her subordinates, such as military music inspector Karel Mysak, have criticised the step, Tyden writes. ($1=15.775 crowns)
(Ceske Noviny)
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