French Decree-Rule Bill Gets Majority

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31375, 22 May 1967, Page 11

French Decree-Rule Bill Gets Majority

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter —Copyright)

PARIS, May 20.

The French Government tonight beat its Parliamentary opposition by getting a narrow majority to approve its hotlycontested special economic powers bill.

A censure motion tabled by the Leftwing Socialist Federation and the Communist Party obtained 236 votes, eight short of the minimum 244 needed to carry it and overthrow the Government.

The controversial bill empowers the Government to rule by decree on economic

and social questions for the next six months.

Tonight’s vote came at the end of a three-day debate conducted calmly although it was preceded by several weeks of political tension and a 24-hour general strike against the bill last Wednesday. The Government’s official over-all majority of one—244 deputies in the 487-seat House —made the task of the Prime Minister, Mr Georges Pompidou, in steering the bill through the Assembly, difficult.

Strong criticism of the recourse to special powers came from the Right Wing of the Government majority led by Mr Valery Giscard D’Estaing, as well as from the opposition.

The vote for the motion of censure was made up as follows: Communists 73, Leftwing Federationists 121, Centralists 38 (out of 41) nonparty 4 (out of 8). Only votes in favour are taken in a censure motion.

Mr Giscard D’Estaing said he wished for greater freedom of discussion within the majority but the one thing his group would not do was to provoke a Governmental crisis

in an attempt to impose its views.

He said General de Gaulle had brought to France stable government, a strong executive and a healthy currency. The present majority should continue defending these achievements.

In winding up the three-day debate Mr Pompidou said the special powers were limited to the overriding objective of fitting the country to face new international trade competition.