Mrs Peron in control again

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34097, 8 March 1976, Page 17

Mrs Peron in control again

(N Z.P.A.Reuter —Copyright) BUENOS AIRES, March 7. President Maria Estela Peron, of Argentina, was today back in full control of the Peronist Party machinery, but without the support of a wide sector of party moderates.

She won back control in an apparently overwhelming vote at a party congress in Buenos Aires, only 24 hours after her Government launched a severe austerity programme to boost the country’s economy and curb inflation.

Although Opposition politicians have already said that the tough economic measures could unleash a new political crisis, Mrs Peron capped her apparent triumph at the congress by openly warning Argentina’s restless armed forces against staging a coup.

“Coups d’etat and minority dictatorships have never saved the country and never will,’’ the President said in a speech closing the Assembly. There have been frequent warnings in recent weeks that the country’s sixth coup since 1930 may be in the offing.

The party congress yesterday had been hurriedly summoned to remove senior rebel officials critical of the President’s rule. Her victory came when delegates voted 175 to eight for a new 15-member Peronist National Council headed by Mrs Peron, and including only militants utterly loyal to her. The vote swept out the previous council, nine of I whose members last month : demanded a radical “change > of direction’’ from the Gov-1 ernment, a sweeping Cabinet| reshuffle and dismissal of the I President’s Tightest personal j advisers. Observers noted that the' victory was won at highi cost: the Assembly’s refusalj to seat moderate delegatesj from three provinces, and the significant absence of an estimated 40 per cent of the delegates.