KING LEOPOLD’S FUTURE

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26095, 24 April 1950, Page 7

KING LEOPOLD’S FUTURE

Condition For Transfer Of Power RETURNED) EXILE FROM BELGIUM (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 10 p.m.) BRUSSELS, April 22. The Prime Minister-designate of Belgium (Mr Paul van Zeeland) to-day handed to the leader of the Belgian Socialist Party (Mr Paul Spaak) a letter containing an assurance that King Leopold would remain only 18 days on the Belgian throne if he returned from exile. The assurance was a sequel to the agreement reached last Thursday by Belgium’s three main parties. They agreed in principle that King Leopold could return to the throne and temporarily transfer his prerogatives to his 19-year-old son, Prince Baudouin. After 18 days, King Leopold would again go into provisional exile. Delegates from all three partieg, after a round-table conference with Mr van Zeeland, had agreed to the proposed delegation of power to Prince Baudouin. The proposal was made by the King himself in a broadcast to the Belgian nation last week. Mr van Zeeland Is the -leader of the Christian Social Party, the only group wholly in favour of the King’s return. However, when the Socialist delegates reported to their executive last night, members considered that the temporary delegation of power to Prince Baudouin could be effective only if the King left Belgium again.