World’s youngest ruler

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32589, 24 April 1971, Page 17

World’s youngest ruler

(N.Z.PA.-Reuter—Copyright) PORT-AU-PRINCE (Haiti), April 23. The world’s youngest Head of State, Mr JeanClaude Duvaliet, aged 19, today prepared for his first significant public appearance as Haiti’s life-long President —the funeral of his father, “Papa Doc,’ probably tomorrow.

He was proclaimed the official successor to the Presidency in February. The new President announced the death of President Francoise Duvalier to the Caribbean republic of five million people in a dramatic radio broadcast early yesterday morning. “Papa Doc,” who ruled this French-speaking nation with a rod of iron for 14 years and had been declared its President for life, died late on Tuesday night, apparently from the latest of a series of heart attacks which had plagued his last few months Haitians took his death calmly, with little sign of outward emotion. According to Mr Duvalier’s broadcast, also present at his father’s deathbed was Mrs Marie-Denise Dominique, aged 30, “Papa Doc’s” elder daughter and favourite, who, it has been said, might be the power behind her brother. She is reported to have the support of voodooists, the mystical cult encouraged by her father, and some commentators believe that she has already been wielding much of the power during her father’s illness. CABINET CHANGED A new 12-man Cabinet has been appointed, including only three of "Papa Doc’s” Ministers, the radio broadcast said. A special group of eight advisers will assist the new President, including several of the former Ministers. One significant change in the Cabinet was the substitution of the Foreign Minister (Mr Rene Chalmers) by Dr Adrien Raymond, a former under-secretary. Mr Raymond is a brother of the Army chief of staff (Brigadier-Gen-eral Claude Raymond), which might be interpreted as military support for the new regime. Among the advisers is Mr Gerard de Catlogne, the Min-

ister of Tourism under “Papa Doc,” and the editor of the newspaper “La Nouveau Monde,” the official voice of the regime. In Washington, the Defence Department acknowledged that it had increased naval and air surveillance around Haiti since President Duvalier’s death was announced.

The Pentagon described this course, apparently to ensure that Cuba would not exploit the unsettled Haitian situation as “a very modest increase in our normal activities in that part of the Caribbean.”