Ceausescu hold unbroken after blistering attack

Press, 26 November 1979, Page 9

Ceausescu hold unbroken after blistering attack

NZPA-Reuter Bucharest President Nicolas Ceausescu has been re-elected Rumania’s Communist Party chief despite an unprecedented challenge to his leadership from the floor of the party congress. The 61-year-old leader, who has headed the country since 1975, dropped nine top political aides in a reshuffle of the party leadership after being, unanimously re-elected to a further five-year term. Earlier he was accused of being undemocratic and of putting personal interest before those of the State by Mr Constantin Pirvulescu, aged 84, a former member of the party’s ruling politburo. The outburst stunned the 2600 delegates at the congress, called to approve a new five-year plan. Easternbloc observers could not recall a similar incident in

communist history. Mr Ceausescu, who follows a hard-line policy at home while pursuing an independent foreign policy, responded to the attack by accusing Mr Pirvulescu of going into hiding during the war and blaming him for political executions during the Stalinist purges of the 19505. Rumanian officials suggested to foreign journalists that Mr Pirvulescu was senile, and hinted that he had worked with the Soviet Union against Rumania. After Mr Pirvulescu’s credentials as a delegate had been withdrawn by the congress, Mr Ceausescu was reelected unanimously to a new five-year term, and announced the reshuffle dropping nine senior officials and promoting seven women to senior positions.