Noriega’s offer to resign unacceptable—U.S

Press, 23 March 1988, Page 10

Noriega’s offer to resign unacceptable—U.S

NZPA-Reuter | , fi ' Washin^ on The United States Government swiftly rejected an offer for thei Panamanian strongman, General Manuel Antdnio Noriega, to resign on Monday, saying the offer was totally unacceptable. H I i .

Panama’s Acting Presi-| dent, Manuel Solis Palma,! said in a televised address; that General Noriega had. promised to resign as Armed Forces chief, conditional on a national dialogue with all political forces in Panama. "The proposal is totally unacceptable,” a White' House spokesman Roman Popadiuk, said. . It fell short of United States calls for the im-j mediate resignation of General Noriega, under indictment by two Florida grand juries on charges accusing him of turning the Panamanian Defence Force, which he heads, into a massive drug traffic operation. “We stand by our previ--ous view that Noriega should go and the sooner the better for Panama,” I

said a State Departmen spokesman, Anita Stock man. I Panama has plunged into a 'severe economic crisis dfter Washington froze its [assets held in the United States and dried up the j flow of Unitep States dollars, r Panama’s currency. ' ■, The State Department dismissed General Ncriega’s offer as a ploy.! "We believe the offer is little more than a ploy to attempt to legitimatise the illegal Solis Palma regime t by calling for negotiations between it and opposition groups,’? Ms Stockman said. It seemed to be “an effort on the part of IfJi)riega l to maintain dire:t or indirect control of ti e Panamanian defence forces.”

“Noriega is the problem and his preoccupation with remaining ion the scene despite overwhelming domestic opposition will only ensure continued economic and political instability there,” ishe said. Another White House spokesman, Marlin Fitzwater, acknowledged earlier on Monday that General Noriega had unceremoniously dismissed a United States offer of exile last Friday; An economic squeeze to cut the flow of the United States dollars Panama uses as its national currency would now have to be the main weapon in the bid to oust him, he said. i Mr Fitzwater hinted that if General Noriega refused to leave Panama;

Washington was prepared to toughen the[ economic measures it imposed officially at the request of Eric Artura Delvalle, the President General Noriega ousted for trying to sack him. ! “We believe General Noriega should leave as soon as possible,” he said. “The pressures that are being applied i of course are still in effect and mount each day and we always have pother options under consideration.” He would not say what the White House had in mind and said; no new decisions were pending. The economic squeeze, in which Washington has withheld monthly payments for the' Panama Canal and United States courts have blocked transfers from Panamanian

bank accounts, has bitten deeply. | ' ; ’ , ■ iAhti-Noriega i protests, including strikes, have erupted; as | [ unpaid wbriters; have vented their angpr, I to the obvious satisfaction in Washington. Tiie United States Government clearly ' hoped General Noriega would rea.id them as a signal to depart and sent two State Department officials to Panama last week to offer him a Ideal. ; : i ; In another sign of the increasing tension between i Washington and General Noriega, the Pentagon announced it had sertt 300 troops, including 212 military policemen, to bohst security at Panamanian: bases where 10,1000 American soldiers arb stationed. , ; j