LOCAL ELECTIONS FOR ALGERIA

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28607, 9 June 1958, Page 11

LOCAL ELECTIONS FOR ALGERIA

French Referendum On October 5 (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 8 p.m.) PARIS, June 7. , - (/ enera l de Gaulle has announced that his Government will hold municipal elections in Algeria within about a month. This decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting this morning and was to be formally confirmed at a Council of Ministers presided over by President Coty on Monday. The decision is not only swift but bold. Previous governments for nearly three years have talked of local elections in Algeria, but only when “circumstances” permitted. They feared that the action of the insurgent nationalists would prevent such elections from being free;

General de Gaulle, in Algiers earlier this week,' already offered reconciliation to all insurgent soldiers, whose behaviour he described as “courageous.” He made no reference to their political leaders in Algeria, Cairo or Tunis.

The Government today also decided to hold the referendum on the new constitution on October 5. two days before the present National Assembly is due to meet again.

Further decisions today were that there should be no byelections until after the referendum, and the appointment of a civilian administrator for Algeria as assistant to General Raoul Salan, whose nomination as the Government delegate - general holding all civil and military powers and directly responsible to General de Gaulle was confirmed. Letter From Macmillan

Britain’s Prime Minister, Mr Macmillan, had sent a second letter to General de Gaulle suggesting a meeting between the two statesmen at an early date to discuss all the international problems of mutual interest to France and Britain, it was learned from usually well-informed quarters in ’Paris today.

Mr Macmillan sent the letter yesterday and left the fixing of the meeting date and place to General de Gaulle. He mentioned that he would be happy also to keep General de Gaulle informed of his Washington talks which will begin on Monday.

General de Gaulle has also received a message of friendship and good wishes from Sir Winston Churchill. The Paris evening newspaper “France-Soir” predicted today that having assured himself of the support of the Army during his Algeria trip, calmed the people and called on the public safety committees to get back in

lihe, General de Gaulle would make another visit to Algiers in a month. June 18 Ceremony The Government plans to celebrate June 18, the anniversary of General de Gaulle’s 1940 declaration “France has lost a battle, she has not lost the war,” by commemorative ceremonies. General de Gaulle will broadcast to the nation next week. General de Gaulle also told his Ministers that his visit to Algeria had convinced him that the fraternisation movement there went deeper, and was more spontaneous than he had at first believed. The full Council of Ministers will decide on Monday what to do about the situation in Corsica where a take-over committee displaced the authorities of the last Government a fortnight ago. An association of “resistance against the disintegration of Franca and the French Union” issued a communique in Paris today announcing that it has set up public safety committees in six districts of Paris, 22 towns and villages near the capital, and in 14 metropolitan departments. Some had been in existence since May 'l6. “Claiming neither posts nor privileges we emphasise bur action for the total reform of a system which in no way corresponds to the wishes of the nation,” the communique said. Colonel Lacheroy, spokesman for General Salan, issued a statement today saying that press reports that the former Governor-General of Algeria, Mr Jacques Soustelle, would be given a diplomatic post were “without foundation.”

In Paris today elections are to be held to renew half the council of the French Republic’s Upper House but no sensations or any clear reaction to General de Gaulle’s return are expected.