Saigon Government Junta Prepares Civilian List

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31079, 7 June 1966, Page 13

Saigon Government Junta Prepares Civilian List

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) SAIGON, June 6. Working feverishly to meet its deadline, the Government today drew up a tentative list of 10 civilians to be added to the ruling military directory, the Associated Press reported.

Officials said the list included Buddhists, Roman Catholics, several prominent politicians and representatives of the Cao Dai and Hoa Hao religious sects.

The deadline for the announcement, agreed upon by the Government and the Buddhist Institute last week, expires tonight.

According to officials, two of those on the list were representatives of the Buddhist Institute.

The institute, whose leaders have said they would refuse to nominate any representatives to sit on the directory, promptly denied this. The Buddhists are demanding the resignation of the head of state, Lieutenant-Gen-eral Nguyen Van Thieu, and the Prime Minister, Air ViceMarshal Nguyen Cao Ky.

A Long Wait Dr. Tran Quang Thuan, a leading layman at the Institute. said:

“We have definitely not been contacted by the govprnmpnt

“The government is taking the responsibility in its own hands. We are still waiting. We are patient Our struggle wii: take a long, long time.” His statement was in line with one made yesterday by Thich Huyen Quang, secre-tary-general of the Buddhist Institute. Would Ignore Thich Quang said: “The government has not approached our leaders about joining the directory. Even if the government wants to invite us, we will ignore it." His statement, as well as that of Dr. Thuan, could well be a negotiating gambit, not uncommon in the confusion of Vietnamese politics, Associated Press said. It was clear, however, that the regime was keeping its pledge of adding 10 civilians to the existing 10-man military junta. Meanwhile, the commission set up to draft the electoral law for the September 11 vote reported ending its preparatory work.

Its conclusions will be submitted to the government, which will have the final word. The commission was locked in a lengthy discussion late into yesterday about whether the constituent assembly would merely draft the constitution or whether it would have legislative powers.