Politburo reshuffle puts more power behind Brezhnev

Press, 29 November 1978, Page 9

Politburo reshuffle puts more power behind Brezhnev

International

NZPA-Reuter Moscow 1 he promotion of three loyal supporters in the Kremlin s senior ranks has further strengthened the power-base of President Leonid Brezhnev.

In the first leadership reshuffle for 18 months, the 67-year-old Mr Konstantin Chernyenko, a close associate of the President, moved up to full membership of the Communist Party’s Polit-’ buro, or inner Cabinet. At the same time, the First Deputy Prime Minister (Mr Kirrill Mazorov) — long tipped as a possible successor to the veteran Prime Minister (Mr Alexei Kosygin) — was drooped from the Politburo, officially for health reasons. At 64 one of the younger members of the Politburo, Mr Mazorov has made few public appearances in recent years. He is believed to have had differences with the party chief. The party’s central committee, holding a regular plenary meeting before a session of the Supreme Soviet, or Parliament, also voted one of Mr Brezhnev’s colleagues of 40 years standing, Mr Nikolai Tikhonov, into a candidate (non-voting) place[ In the Politburo. Mr Tikhonov has served, as the junior of the two First Deputy Prime Ministers since 1976. Another new recruit to the candidate ranks was Mr, Fduard Shevardnadze, aged; 50, who as party chief ini the Republic of Georgia has l handled the only reported wide-scale unrest in the So-! viet Union in recent years. 1

Demonstrators in various parts of the Trans-Caucasian republic have taken to the streets this year to protest at proposals to remove guarantees on the use of their native languages and other matters. Though he has not been as closely associated with Mr Brezhnev as the 72-year-old Mr Tikhonov or Mr Chernyenko, Mr Sheverdnadze has paid some of the most glowing public tributes to the Soviet leader to come from high officials. The latest changes, which bring the average age of the Politburo to 68, have provided new material for Krem-lin-watchers speculating on the eventual succession to the ailing Mr Brezhnev, who will turn 72 next month. Western diplomats were surprised at the speed of Mr Chernyenko's promotion to the highest level of the Politburo. A political adviser to the party chief for some time, he was appointed a candidate member of the body only a year ago. Another appointment was of Mr Mikhail Gorbachev, party chief in the important agricultural region of Stavropol, to the position of a Secretary of the Central Committee. Mr Brezhnev singled out the Stavropol area in his: speech to the 280-strong Central Committee as one of

'several regions that had per-! i! formed exceptionally well in ’[contributing to this year’s :[ record grain harvest. ■ i Mr Brezhnev announced' ’lthe final crop figure of 235 M ■ tonnes — more than 11M tonnes higher than the prei vious record — before going i on to criticise various in- ■ dustries and ministries for ’ inefficiencies and mis-j •'management. j; The Central Committee; I approved a draft of the Bud-1 ilget and State plan for 1979 which will be passed by the, i iSupreme Soviet this week. >| . - - ■ Lii line denial I South African Airways] i has rejected allegations! made in the Australian Pariiliament that it practised af firn of apartheid by pre-i . venting a coloured former! South African now living in! /Tasmania from taking parti . jir a package tour of South: Africa. A Tasmanian Labour; J Opposition senator, Justin I O’Byrne, alleged in Parlia- . [ ment last week that the air- . i line had refused to sell tickets to the man, an Australian citizen of Indian des-| i cent, despite his offer to opt; ’out o' the holiday and social! ' aspect of the trip in order] ’merely to take advantage ofj I [the cheap flight. In a letter Itc members of Parliament. |the airline denied that it! ; practised any form of segre-l • gation on its aircraft. —] Canberra.