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Salvador policy dispute

NZPA. .Washington The United States House of Representatives • sharply differed with State Department policy on El Salvador yesterday by voting overwhelmingly for unconditional negotiations to, end El Salvador’s guerrilla war. The vote on the non-bind-ing resolution was 396 "to three. It calls for negotiations with all factions before the March 28 election in El Salvador, to create a favourable atmosphere for the election. State Department officials yesterday said they would back negotiations, but only after the election had laid the basis for a. legitimate government. They added that the government should negotiate only with the moderate leaders of the Democratic Revolution Front (F.D.R.). But- the FAR- head, Guillermo Ungo, told journalists: in ’ Washington yesterday the F.D.R.’s Marxists should be represented in the negotations too: the F.D.R. would not let Washington decide “who are the good guys or the bad guys.” • The Secretary of State (Mr Alexander Haig) has assured the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee that the entire guerrilla leadership is under “external command and control.” But the F.D.R. leader told American reporters that the guerrillas are led by Salvadoreans rather than foreigners, He said that the F.D.R.’s various factions including. the Marxists had agreed on a programme that was not’ Marxist and that; would guarantee multi-party democracy;. ■ In London, the Conservative Government has announced it is- sending two observers to El Salvador’s election of a constituent assembly..' But ‘ the Labour Party’s shadow Foreign Secretary, Denis Healey,, protested in the House of Commons that the election would be “macabre ritual.” . “Surely the Government does not believe these elections can conceivably produce a valid result or do anything except make a solution to the problems more difficult,”: said Mr Healey. “We should be co-ordinat-ing our policy towards Central America instead of acting as President Reagan’s poodle.” .’ ’ '

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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19820304.2.64.3

Bibliographic details

Press, 4 March 1982, Page 8

Word Count
299

Salvador policy dispute Press, 4 March 1982, Page 8

Salvador policy dispute Press, 4 March 1982, Page 8