DR. BENES’ BROADCAST

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 February 1945, Page 6

DR. BENES’ BROADCAST

CZECH STATE OUTLINED

LONDON, Feb. 18

In his last, “exile” broadcast from London to his countrymen, Dr. Benes, President of Czechoslovakia, stressed that the new Government to be formed would represent “a national front” in all main'sections of the nation such as industry, agriculture, the workers, the middle classes, and intellectuals.

The organisation of the Stale after its liberation would be carried out from the bottom, through national committees elected by all, with the exclusion of traitors and collaborationists. ’From local committees district committees would be elected which in turn, would elect provincial committees.

Areas with a German or Hungarian population would, until the settlement of the minority question, be administered by Government commissioners and they would be made secure by the necessary military forces. At the earliest possible moment elections would be held for a provisional national assembly of one chamber which would exercise all the main functions until a regular national assembly was elected. It would, in particular, arrange the first regular parliamentary elections and settle the question of providing a republic on democratic lines in accordance with the constitution. Czechoslovakia would be a democratic State guaranteeing all the rights of the citizens.