Thieu to tighten grip on Govt

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33096, 11 December 1972, Page 17

Thieu to tighten grip on Govt

CV.Z. P. A.-Reuter— Copyright) i SAIGON, December 10. President Thieu is said to be. preparing a new “Government of national solidarity’’ to strengthen his position once a Vietnam cease-fire is signed.

I Government sources said! i the President would announce ra new Cabinet when he ad-1 ’[dressed a joint session of the i[National Assembly on Tuesday. He would also seek from •[Parliament an extension of I the special powers which [enable him to rule by decree. J The special powers were; ! first voted to the President in [ June to deal with the North Vietnamese offensive, but [[now Mr Thieu will seek them ,i to handle the sensitive diplo-; I matic and political, as well’ as military, situation, [[should a settlement on ending [the war be reached in Paris.j The authoritative Saigon' newspaper “Tin Song” (“Live [News”), partly financed by President Thieu’s nephew and: closest adviser, said that Mr; Thieu would expand hisj Cabinet to include anti-Com-[munist parties other than hisj [own in to give his Gov-i ernment broader representation in the event of a case-,' j fire. [ NEW PARTY, PERHAPS , An Agence France Pressed report says that a new poli-j< [tical party led by President;! Thieu, and aimed at "res-, ponding to the nation’s post- | ;ceasefire political require- | [ments,’.’ will be set up in South Vietnam before Christmas. j

The party, it is said, will have about 182.000 members, making it the biggest of South 'Vietnam’s 23 authorised poliI tical parties. The party will describe itself as “The Government party for a strong and antiCommunist South Vietnam " I It will establish relations [with political parties in other Asian countries in order to “strengthen diplomatic re lations with friendly .countries.”