SUCCESSOR TO ONGANIA

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32320, 11 June 1970, Page 17

SUCCESSOR TO ONGANIA

(N.Z.P. A. .-Reuter—- Copyright) BUENOS AIRES, June 10. An Army officer and a civilian emerged today as favourites to succeed the deposed F resident, General Juan Carlos Ongania. One is General Osiris Villegas, aged 52, the Argentine Ambassador in Brazil and a former head of the National! Security Council, who re-[ turned to Argentina last Monday when General Ongania [was deposed. I The second is a civilian, Mr [Jose Rafael Caceres Monie, a! 52-year-old lawyer who was I Defence Minister in General

Ongania’s Cabinet and who was yesterday named Interior Minister by the military junta. He strongly backed the military chiefs in the overthrow of General Ongania and speculation that he may have a slight edge over General Villegas is mounting. In future there would be one President but the Armed (Forces chiefs would act as with whom' laws! 'would have to be discussed,: Mr Monie told a press con-! ference last night. 1 I He declined to give details' (of the junta’s political planj and said that he did not; iknow who the future Presid-1 Sent or Cabinet members | I would be. j But the military were look-; ing towards elections and.

> “the nation will have open ■ options in an election,” he; . said, ! The three-man military ■ junta which ousted 56-year-old I General Ongania promised an : early return to democratic I and representative rule yesterday and said thaat they • would appoint a President I within 10 days. , > The Navy Commander, Ad- > miral Pedro Gnavi, /old the , nation yesterday that the re(raoval of General Ongania, Iwho took power in a coup in > June, 1966, was started by his; , reluctance to draw up blue-! t prints for a return to consti-; ■ tutional rule. > Speaking for his fellow! junta members—General Ale-! ■ijandro Lanusse and Brigadier I! Carlos Rey, Admiral Gnavi i

ij yesterday praised General Onjjgania’s four-year-rule in the economic field but claimed i that his political views clashed I with Argentina’s “democratic i traditions.” : Army sources discounted ■ rumours that General Lanr usse, also 52, would take the t Presidency as it would mean .giving up leadership of the -I Army. ji As Army chief he is in a •i position to direct the course , [of the country as he did in II Monday's coup with the backsi ing of the Navy and Air -1 Force. ■[ Generally it was felt a nonimilitary man would probably be best to plan elections, re■lvive the moribound political •parties and hand over peaceiifully to an elected successor.