Beloved Czech President Vaclav Havel Passes Away

Beloved Czech President Vaclav Havel Passes Away

On Monday, Czechs through Prague Castle and the mediaeval city centre wrote condolences to Vaclav Havel, the playwright-turned president whose “Velvet Revolution” ousted Communist rule. Havel passed away on Sunday at his country home in Hradecek, northeast of Prague, after a long respiratory illness.

Prime Minister Petr Necas announced a 3-day national mourning from Wednesday to Friday for Vaclav Havel at Prague Castle’s St. Vitus Cathedral. National leaders and statesmen from different nations are expected to witness Havel’s funeral.

According to Lumir Nemec, a 72-year-old pensioner, "He accomplished what we did not believe was possible: He beat communism, and what is more, without a single shot, without a drop of blood spilled. He deserves honor."

Further, sources revealed that U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, whose husband Bill, as president, famously joined Havel at a Prague jazz club to play saxophone during an official visit in 1994 will also attend the funeral.

Havel was president of Czechoslovakia from December 29, 1989 until 1992, and then of the Czech Republic from 1993 until he retired in 2003. Eva Tuskova, a 26-year-old student stated, "He showed there were values worth fighting for, he showed that truth and love can be part of politics."

Posted by James Fried on Tuesday December 20 2011, 10:24 AM EDT. Ref: CNN. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under World. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0