FRANCE TO DECIDE HER OWN DESTINY

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 164, 13 July 1945, Page 5

FRANCE TO DECIDE HER OWN DESTINY

DE GAULLE'S PLAN

People To Choose Regime

They Desire N.Z. Press Association—Copyright" •--" Rec. noon. LONDON, July .12, The means whereby the ment intends to call the French people to choose their own. regime, was explained by General- de Gaulle in a broadcast over the Paris radio. He stated that, firstly, the country must say whether the institutions of the Third Republic were still ValidK "We shall, in, October, by : universal suffrage, elect.an■ Assembly and,say whether it Is to-be a;;.Gbristltueht Assembly with a mandate "to draft anew Constitution," he continued.'

"If the majority of the electors decide against thfs . idea the Assembly will become the Chamber of Deputies and we shall proceed to the election of - a Senate. These two Chambers, thereafter, ■will; together form a National Assembly to the Constitution if so desired. Oh the mother hand, if the majority.: decides> s that-, Assembly should be a Constituent Assembly, then they will say; in Effect, that the institutions prior to 1940 ho longer apply. The Government-in that case thinks it necessary that the country should settle the working of the executive until a new Constitution comes ; into force.

"The Government, while , proposing to the country that, the Assembly be constituent, submits for consideration a transitory regime to exercise power until the Constitution is established. The Constituent Assembly would appoint a President of the Government, who would choose the Ministers and together they would rule until the new Constitution is"drawn up.

"This must be done in not more than seven months and might be completed earlier if the Assembly worked quickly, but as regards the main legislative measures, such as the Budget, ratification of treaties and so forth, the decisions will rest with the Assembly.

. "The Government finally suggests that a new Constitution be ratified by the nation. The destiny of France now belongs to herself."