New Persian Premier Plans Many Reforms

Press, Volume C, Issue 29513, 13 May 1961, Page 11

New Persian Premier Plans Many Reforms

(N.Z P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) TEHERAN, May 11. The new Persian Prime Minister (Mr Ali Amini) today announced a 15-point Government programme including land reform, cuts in State spending, a lowering of the costs of living, and anti-corruption measures.

It was also announced that teachers, whose strike earlier this month led to violence and brought down the Government of Sharif Enami, had agreed to return to work since the new Government had satisfied their pay claims. Under the new programme, prices will be lowered and imports and exports balanced. The Government, will decentralise, and provinces will be given greater autonomy. Land ownership will be limited and big estates split among the peasants. Farming methods and the tax collecting system will be improved. Government agencies will cut expenditure, and dishonest officials will be prosecuted and severely punished. The country's judicial system will be strengthened to deal with them Government employees and teachers will have better conditions, and special attention will be paid to educational affairs and compulsory education In a radio announcement today, the Government denied rumours that more than 150 senior officials, police and military officers had been arrested and would be tried for misusing State funds. "All day Persians have

been dancing in the streets of Teheran, celebrating the fall of Parliament," says the “Daily Mail’s" Teheran correspondent. “It has been dissolved before, but only to suit the Shah. “This time it was the people themselves in this practically bloodless revolution who have not only overthrown the Government, but have thrown out everything corrupt which past Governments have stood for. "There is no doubt that Americans who made it known to the Shah nearly a week ago that they would look kindly on another Persian Government only if it was led by' Ali Amini are more than pleased. “The Shah has been told that if this fight against corruption shows itself to be an honest one there is a good possibility Washington will step in with an emergency grant to help out Amini in the dire financial rris's which he has walked into,” the correspondent says.