Gemayel bomber held

Press, 4 October 1982, Page 8

Gemayel bomber held

NZPA-Reut.er Beirut The Falangist party radio said yesterday that a’ member of & Lebanese Leftist organisation had planted the bomb which killed the Presi-dent-elect. Bashir- Gemayel, last month. ■ It named the man as Habib Shartouni. and said he had been ordered to plant the bomb by a senior member of the organisation working for the Intelligence service of. a certain country.

It did not name either , the organisation or the country. Mr Genfayel died on September ;14 when ‘the bomb wrecked a local headquarters of the party 'in east Beirut as he was attending a meeting.

The ; Falangist party’s newspaiper, “Al-Amal.” • led its front page with a report that the man who planted arid detonated the bomb had been arrested by the security

arm of the “Lebanese Forces." the Rightist militia grouping dominated by the Falangists. The radio said Shartouni had planted the bomb in an empty flat on the floor above the Falangist offices.

Meanwhile official sources said that Lebanon’s new President, Mr Amin Gemayel. had completed consultations with various political groups on the formation of a new government and could be expected to name his Prime Minister soon.

The sources said that the hew government would probably ' hold office for a sixmonth transitional period during which it was hoped talks would be completed on the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Lebanon, and illegal militias would -be disarmed. After that a “Government

of National Union" would be installed to supervise the rebuilding of the country, the sources said. Lebanon has been in turmoil since the civil war of 1975 and 1976 when an alliance of Palestinian guerrillas and Leftist organisations fought the Right-wing Christian groups which had traditionally ruled the country since independence from France in 1943. ....

In Washington.. a White House spokesman said that Mr .Gemayel would meet President Rdhald- Reagan at the White House on October 19 during a visit to the United States. : With >l2OO United States Marines/.' in Lebanon. Mr Reagan has .said- that he is anxious that the authority of the . new ' Government in Beirut .. and throughout Lebanon be established as soon/as possible. . j .