Havel, Václav

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Havel, Václav (1936– ) Czech statesman and dramatist. He wrote a series of plays, such as The Garden Party (1963), that were critical of Czechoslovakia's communist regime. Havel was the leading spokesman for the dissident group Charter 77 and was imprisoned (1979–83). In 1989, he founded Civic Forum. Following the ‘Velvet Revolution’ (December 1989), Havel was elected president of Czechoslovakia. He resigned (1992) in protest at the partition of Czechoslovakia, but returned by popular demand as president of the Czech Republic. He was re-elected in 1998.

http://www.hrad.cz

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