CAIRO TALKS Referendum in doubt

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33315, 28 August 1973, Page 17

CAIRO TALKS Referendum in doubt

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright)

CAIRO, August 27.

President Sadat of Egypt and the Libyan leader, Colonel Gadaffi, begin formal talks in Cairo today, amid renewed speculation about the planned merger between the two countries, due to be decided in a referendum next Saturday.

Colonel Gadaffi flew into Cairo unexpectedly on Saturday night, and spent the night in a Cairo hotel before moving to the Kubbeh Republican Palace as a State guest yesterday.

He was entertained to dinner last night in a hotel at the foot of the Pyramids on the outskirts of Cairo. Observers in Cairo have been puzzled by the timing of the visit. Intensive efforts would be needed to prepare for the referendum and to give the people of the two countries at least a rough idea of what they were going to vote on, if the referendum were to be carried out as planned, the observers say. The authoritative newspaper, ‘‘Al Ahram,” said today that future measures leading to union would be defined in the light of the meetings between the Egyptian and Libyan Presidents, but observers note that today’s reports in the Cairo! press do not even affirm that

the referendum will take place on the set date. They emphasise that President Sadat is busy promoting relations and charting plans to unite the Arab world against a possible confrontation with Israel. The mass circulation newspaper. “Al Akhbar,” reports that intensive consultations are under way in a number of Arab capitals regarding a unified plan to use oil as a weapon in the battle.