Former opponent of Shah set to be P.M.

Press, 22 December 1978, Page 5

Former opponent of Shah set to be P.M.

NZPA-Reuter Teheran A former Cabinet Minister has conditionally accepted the post of Prime Minister in a new civilian Government proposed by the Shah of Iran as a means of saving his throne, informed sources have reported in Teheran, the Iranian capital.

The sources, who declined to be named yesterday said Dr Gholam-Hossein Sadiqi. aged 73, had accepted the job after the Shah had agreed to a number of political conditions set by the former Minister. Dr Sadiqi is now a sociology and philosophy professor at Teheran University. Mr Ahmad Banni-Ahmed, an Opposition deputy in the Lower House, said Dr Sadiqi might form a Government within the next four days, but he saw little chance of the administration’s succeeding.

“Certainly, a civilian government headed by Dr Sadiqi would be a lot better than the present military Government. He will certainly allow much more freedom of the press and of association, and may even permit demonstrations,” Mr BanniAhmed said. “But he will not be able to solve the current crisis, so long as the Shah remains.”

Sources said Dr Sadiqi demanded the dissolution of the current parliament as one of his conditions. It was not immediately clear whether this would be met. but if it is Sadiqi would have to hold a General Election within six months under the constitution. The Shah has already pledged to hold free elections next June — about the time Dr Sadiqi would be required to if he became Prime Minister. The sources declined to specify the other conditions. They said the Shah, fighting to stay on the Peacock Throne amid widespread opposition to his one-man rule, had given Dr Sadiqi two weeks to patch together a civilian government. It would then take over from General Gholam-Reza Azhari’s military led regime, appointed by the 59-year-old monarch last month to restore order amid swelling violence.

Religious leaders, headed by the self-exiled Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeiny have led riots for the last 11 months in opposition to the Shah’s efforts to modernise the Muslim nation. At least 1400 people are reported to have died in the demonstrations. Mr Mohammed Montazeri. son of Ayotullah Hossein-Ali Montazeri, claimed in Paris this week that his father had been beaten, whipped, and chained during torture by the Savak, the Shah’s security police. Axatollah Montazeri who is 56. travelled to Paris for medical treatment, and to meet with his spiritual leader, Ayatollah Khomeiny. Ayatollah Montazeri is c jnsidered a likely successor to Ayatollah Khomeiny as religious leader of Iranian Muslims. Three more persons are reported to have been killed and sporadic firing has again been heard throughout the day in the capital a-- soldiers shot in the air to disperse groups of demonstrators. Informed sources said two agents of Savak had been clubbed to death by a mob of the Shah's opponents in Teheran’s sprawling bazaar. One of the agents shot and killed a demonstrator before he was beaten to the ground, according to reports. Sources reported that more than 100 strikers had been arrested in the southwestern oil-fields, and hundreds mare forced back to work in an effort to end the 14-day walk-out. The oil strike continues to cost Iran about half of its normal daily production of 6.2 M barrels. The disclosures about Dr Sadiqi came the day after an authoritative source close to the Shah said it was unlikely that a new government would be announced for at least another 10 days — much the same time-scale cited by other sources. Sources close to Dr Sadiqi said he had seen the Shah several times in the monarch’s Niavaran Palace in recent days. Dr Sadiqi appears to have the backing of two key figures — Mr Ardeshir Zahedi, the Shah’s Ambassador in

d Washington who is now h back in Teheran advising the J monarch, and General Gholas mali Oveisi, the martial-law s adminsirator in Teheran. e Both men are firmly 0 behind the Shah’s dogged ree fusal to step down It was repotted that Mr i. Zahedi had been in telei phone contact with President s Jimmy Carter’s National Ser curity Adviser (Mr Zbigniew I, Brzezinski) who supports e the beleagured shah as an - anti-communist bastion on the Soviet Union's southern 5 flank and guardian of the r ! Persian Gulf oil routes to j the West. . I Several previous efforts by the Shah to form a civil- . ian government have foundjlered on the failure to find a .Prime Minister with sufficient political stature and ■ popularity. On the one hand. Dr Sadios □ has some solid credentials J that could muster support • for him among the Oppose 1 tion. The old-guard politi- ‘ cian, educated at the Sor- ' bonne in Paris, was Interior Minister under the late Dr Mo. immed Mossadegh, who ’ nationalised Iran's oil in--1 dustry in 1951 and forced 5 the Shah into brief exile 1 He helped found the Mos- '• sadegh National Front, and ’ was jailed five times by the 5 Shah for a total of three s vears between 1953 and 1963 for political activity. t Sources stressed that Dr I Sadiai was at odds with the - front’s present leader. Dr - Karim Sanjabi, who la«t J week refused an offer from .■ the Shah to participate in a 1 coalition. t The 71-year-old Dr Saniabi I has written to Dr Sadiqi, I telling him the National Front would not support • him. i Diplomats in Teheran bei lieve any civilian govern- - ment would not survive for t long without the front’s par--1 ticipation. The front, allied - to the Shah’s more powerful ■ religious foes, demands the monarch’s abdication to end i what it considers an illegal i regime. > However. the Shah's > advisers apparently hope that Dr Sadiqi may be able ! to exploit a growing rift in • the front by attracting dis- , sident factions eager for a t place in a new government