P.L.O. praise for P.M.

Press, 3 October 1979, Page 1

P.L.O. praise for P.M.

NZPA Belgrade A deft piece of bargaining prevented the Palestine Liberation Organisation from sitting in on an International Monetary Fund meeting that began in Belgrade yesterday. However, the person directing the opposing forces of Third World and developed countries, the New Zealand Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon), won praise from the Palestinians. Mr Muldoon, as chairman of the joint annual

meetings of the LM.F. and the World Bank, was also chairman of the procedures committee which met on Monday evening to sort out the wrangle over the P.L.O. LM.F. and World Bank officials had initially turned the P.L.O. down and then Mr Muldoon, acting on the advice of the officials, did the same. But w'hen the group of 77 developing nations unanimously supported the P.L.O. on Saturday an impasse seemed to have been reached: either the LM.F. and World Bank had to

I backtrack or ban the , P.L.O. and risk a Third World walkout. But a formula was i reached which stopped a > possible walkout and prevented the P.L.O. from taking seats as observers. : It will report to the incoming chairman, believed i to be a Tanzanian, who will decide on future ob- > server requests on the basis of the report and in f accordance with the ; I.M.F.’s rules. : Under the agreement Mr Muldoon will appoint a i committee from the I.M.F.’s board of governors > which in the next three

months will review the status of observers. The compromise was criticised by the P.L.O.’s representative in Belgrade, Dr Walid Kamhawi, but he praised Mr Muldoon’s part in it. “I am sorry a very small minority was able to obstruct the implementation of a resolution adopted unanimously by a majority of members,” he said. “The system of weighted votes (in the conference) put the chairman in a difficult position. He did his best to take a fair stand.”