Czechoslovak Communists OK New Leader

PRAGUE, Czechoslovakia â€”  The Communist Party on Wednesday elected former Prime Minister Ladislav Adamec as chairman to guide it through free elections due within six months, and the party also formally apologized for leading the nation into crisis.

In an emergency congress of the party, Politburo member Vasil Mohorita was elected first secretary, the state news agency CTK said.

Adamec replaces Karel Urbanek, who took over less than four weeks ago after the ouster of hard-liner Milos Jakes.

“The Czechoslovak Communist Party apologizes to the working people, artists, the intelligentsia and young people for its past policies,� the beleaguered Communists said in a statement read out on state television.

It went on to express regret at security force violence to crush a student protest Nov. 17 and the expulsion and persecution of half a million people after the 1968 Soviet-led invasion that ended the Prague Spring reform movement.

The violence set off the series of pro-democracy demonstrations that wiped out most of the party’s power in a mere two weeks.

“The party wishes to become the joint guarantor of our rights to a free and dignified life and for the fulfillment of your hopes,� the statement said.

Adamec, 63, opened a dialogue with the opposition Civic Forum movement shortly after the start of the wave of pro-democracy protests but later resigned as prime minister.

Adamec was elected by 59.5% of the votes and Mohorita by 57.1%, CTK said.