Election date fixed

Press, 2 July 1983, Page 10

Election date fixed

NZPA Guatemala City The Guatemalan military Government has announced that it is calling elections next year for an assembly to reform the constitution, in what appeared to be an effort to defuse spreading demands for Brigadier-Gen-eral Efrain Rios Montt to quit as President. Jorge Elias Serrano, chairman of the executive advisory council, said that the Government had decided elections would be held on July 29, 1984, and the constituent assembly would be installed on Sep-

tember 15. General Rios Montt had made vague promises to hold elections some time next year, but this is the first time a senior Government official has set a firm date. The 36-member council is made up of professionals and leading officials and is often called on by the executive for advice on a wide range of problems. Mr Serrano made the announcement over the State broadcasting network. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court announced that it was installing a five-member supreme electoral tribunal

— a national elections board — to supervise the polling and make sure there is no fraud. An announcement from the Supreme Court said that the elections board would start working on new electoral rolls, where each voter would be registered and given an election-identity card. General Rios Montt has imposed a “state of alert” to help thwart the latest effort to oust him from power, but the attempt appears to signal growing discontent with his 15-month Government.