ALGERIAN REFORM

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28447, 29 November 1957, Page 15

ALGERIAN REFORM

Paris Debate Halted (Rec. 11.30 p.m.) PARIS. November 27. The three-week-old French Government received a setback tonight when the National Assembly voted by 300 votes to 260 to postpone indefinitely the debate it began yesterday on the new Algerian Reform Bill. The Government, which had earlier staked its existence on Assembly approval of the bill by

asking for a vote of confidence on it, immediately asked for a special session of Parliament tomorrow, during which it will relaunch the debate.

The bill included provisions aimed at meeting the fears of the 1,200,000 Europeans in Algeria that they would be swamped in elections by the votes of the eight million Moslems.

The bill provides that “councils of communities” composed of equal numbers of Europeans and Moslems complement the elected “territorial assemblies,” which will be given considerable say in running local affairs.

He said the offer dropped the nationalist demand for independence as a condition for opening the talks, but substituted instead a demand for sovereignty. Mr Pineau said that to the French, both independence and sovereignty had the same legal meaning. He objected to the naming of a single nationalist group as spokesman for all the Algerian Arabs. The National Liberation Front and a rival group, the Algerian National Movement, were engaged in cruel competition for monopoly over all Algerian nationalist activities. Mr Pineau said France would invite democratic governments, to send as many pbservers as necessary to Algeria during, the elections for popular assemblies. After “the will of the people” had been ascertained and Algerian assemblies set up, discussions would be held to decide upon the definitive institutions of Algeria. These would take into account the aspirations and the. at times, divergent interests of the various communities, thus permitting individual rights and freedoms for all to be fully assured. “The French Government feels that no-one should be given ground to doubt*the sincerity of the popular consultation. “As it has already promised, it will itself take the initiative of inviting governments of countries which are accustomed to democratic procedures, to send as many observers as necessary.” The Political Committee took time off to study the French plans for Algeria while the Arab delegations prepared to present their case for the territory’s independence.

Mr Mongi Slim, the Tunisian Ambassador, who is expected to play the leading role in the committee debate, was reported to be planning talks on the subject in Washington with the King of Morocco. Dr. Mahmoud Fawzi, the Egyptian Foreign Minister, was due in New York today for committee discussions. Mr Pineau told the committee that “international communism” was involved in the Algerian revolt, with the Communists taking charge of terrorism in the cities and infiltrating the nationalist rebel bands. He said he did not want to identify Algerian nationalism with communism, but only to call attention to “the grave danger for the future inherent in Communist participation in Algerian subversion.”