Allende averts crisis

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32810, 10 January 1972, Page 11

Allende averts crisis

W.Z.P.<4.-Reuter—Copyright) SANTIAGO, January 9. President Salvador Allende of Chile seems to have scored a tactical victory over his opponents. By swapping two Ministers he foiled an attempt to force the Interior Minister (Mr Jose Toha) to resign. But the success of the Opposition in Congress, where it has a majority, in forcing Dr Allende’s hand by a censure motion against Mi Toha, his deputy, made it

look as if the president might have a tougher time from now on in pushing through Left-wing measures. Mr Toha, a 43-year-old socialist journalist, took ovei the defence portfolio from Professor Alejandxo Rios Valdivia only a few hours after the 80-59 censure vote in the Lower House automatically suspended him pending a vote by the Senate, which would almost certainly have gone the same way. Professor Rios Valdivia, aged 64, took over as Interior Minister. He is a member of the Radical Party, a minority member of Dr Allende’s socialist and Communist coalition government, and as such is probably less likely to offend the Christian Democrat and Right-wing Opposition. The Christian Democrats accused Mr Toha of allowing armed groups of Government supporters to roam the streets and tolerating arbitrary and illegal arrests during the recent state of emergency. They also said that he brought pressure to bear on news media and violated Constitutional rights by banning or breaking up political rallies and demonstrations. Since the Left-wing Government was elected in November, 1970, the Christian Democrats, the largest party in the Opposition, has not obstructed Government measures in Congress, where ' it holds the balance, very '■ vigorously. However, for this censure ■ motion it combined with the Right-wing National Party,

and if the carrying of the motion by a comfortable majority is a sign of how future . votes may go, the partnership may effectively block all the Government’s legislation.

Dr Allende faces another test on January 16 when two by-elections will be held in provinces south of Santiago, one for a vacant Senate seat and one for a seat in the Lower House, both previously held by the Opposition. There have already been violent clashes in both campaigns.