CONGO CRISIS

Press, Issue 29236, 21 June 1960, Page 15

CONGO CRISIS

Leaders Reach Compromise (A’.Z. Press Association—Copyright) BRUSSELS, June 20. Reuter said in a dispatch from Leopoldville that the Belgian Resident Minister, Mr Ganshof van der Meersch, had today cancelled his flight to Brussels to report on the political crisis in the Congo. The cancellation came after circulation of reports of a compromise arrangement between two rival political leaders, Mr Joseph Kasavubu, who has been asked by King Baudouin to form a Government, and Mr Patrice Lumumba, leader of the powerful National Congolese Movement.

According to reports, Mr Lumumba gave ground by agreeing that Mr Kasavubu should hold the post of H»ad of State- In exchange he was believed to have demanded the post of Prime Minister and considerable powers in choosing the Cabinet It was reported that both leaders are calling again on Mr van der Meersch this morning. Mr van der Meersch announced his trip in Leopoldville last night a few minutes after Mr Kasavubu, the Abako Party leader, informed him he had been unable to persuade Mr Lumumba to join in a Government headed by Mr Kasavubu.

Mr Kasavubu and Mr Lumumba both claimed they could command a straight majority of the 137 seats in Parliament Both have said they will present Governments for investiture this week. Belgian authorities have declared they could not recognise a Government formed by Mr Lumumba, who failed recently in a bid to organise a central coalition, and have charged Mr Kasavubu with the task. Mr Lumumba had refused to negotiate with Mr Kasavubu. The Belgians are known to be unwilling to hand over power on June 30 to a weak Government with a powerful Opposition, at the risk of splitting the new nation into rival camps. The copper-rich Katanga Province is also faced with the prospect of two Governments—one illegal after independence. Special radio broadcasts in Elizabethville, the Provincial capital, where a state of emergency is in force, warned people yetterday to be prepared for snap police checks on identity cards and driving licences. But the region is still calm and Belgians do not expect trouble.

Verwoerd Leaves Hospital

PRETORIA, June 19 The South African Prime Minister (Dr. Verwoerd) was allowed to return to his official residence in Pretoria today after making a rapid recovery from a plastic eardrum operation performed in Pretoria General Hospital on June 11. nine weeks after the attempt on his life. A member of Dr. Verwoerd's staff said today: “The Prime Minister is 100 per cent, fit."