Goulart Defying Congress More

Press, Volume C, Issue 29609, 4 September 1961, Page 13

Goulart Defying Congress More

(N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright)

BRASILIA (Brazil), September 3.

The Vice-President of Brazil (Mr Joao Goulart) was reported today to be defying all attempts to keep him from the Presidency or steps to reduce the Presidency to a figure-head position. The report, from a Porto Alegre radio station, was quoted by United Press International.

The radio, in a broadcast heard in Sao Paulo, said Mr Goulart would announce his decision to the nation over a radio network of stations which were supporting him in Rio Grande Do Sul state. Mr Goulart planned to go to Brasilia, the capital, from Porto Alegre on Monday to take office, the broadcast said —indicating that he planned to assume the presidency with its full powers under the constitution before its amendment by Congress last night, United Press International said. Reduced Powers The amendment, urged by military leaders and some political groups, would reduce the powers of the President and introduce a parliamentary form of government. The radio announcement came shortly after the Upper and Lower Houses of Congress, meeting in joint session in Brasilia, had formally promulgated an amendment to the constitution stripping the presidency of its powers and setting up a new Government based on the cabinet system, with a Prime Minister.

The promulgation was carried out when the Senate gave its final approval to the plan. The Vice-President said last night he was ready to assume the presidency “with the duties imposed on me by our constitution.” The Associated Press said

he was expected to fly to Brasilia tomorrow. In a statement at the Governor’s palace in Porto Alegre he said: “Mv desire is that of the Brazilian oeople—the preservation of legal order and respect for the constitution and laws.” The radio station said Mr Goulart would demand a national referendum on the constitutional amendment before agreeing to serve as President without full powers. But the report could not be confirmed immediately, A.P, said. Mr Leonel Bizola, Mr Goulart’s brother-in-law and Governor of Rio Grande Do Sul state—of which Porto Alegre is the capital—declared earlier that his people would not accept the amendment. Mr Bizola said any move to set up a parliamentary system in Brazil could be considered after Mr Goulart became President.

Porto Alegre was outwardly calm and there were no signs of military activity

by the pro-Goulart Third Army, A.P. reported. But the “New York Times” said today that the country remained tense and troops and warships were on the move.

In a dispatch from Rio de Janeiro the “New York Times” said that Brazil’s three top military leaders still had not budged from an earlier stand denouncing Mr Goulart as a Communist sympathiser and unacceptable as President.