Reagan sends envoy to ‘nurture democracy’

Press, 13 February 1986, Page 10

Reagan sends envoy to ‘nurture democracy’

NZPA-Reuter Washington

The President of the United States, Mr Ronald Reagan, is sending the veteran United States diplomat, Philip Habib, to Manila to “help nurture the hopes and possibilities of democracy. “We’re neutral, and we hope to have the same relationship with the people of the Philippines that we’ve had all these years,” Mr Reagan said at a nationally televised news conference.

In a previous written statement, Mr Reagan said he found it disturbing that the election had been

“flawed by reports of fraud, which we take seriously, and by violence.”

In his statement, Mr Reagan said he was sending Mr Habib to meet leaders of both political parties, as well as with Church and Government officials and representatives of private sector groups.

Mr Habib would assess the desires and needs of the Filipino people and advise him on how the United States could help them overcome their problems and make reforms.

Mr Habib is a tough,

able negotiator with a reputation for being able to listen.

He has been engaged in some of the most challenging diplomacy of recent years.

Mr Reagan earlier called on Mr Habib’s talents when he summoned him out of retirement in 1981 as a Middle East emissary to forge a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Palestinians in southern Lebanon. Mr Habib was also an architect of the still-born May, 1983, agreement on withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanon. The outcome of the

election, between the President, Mr Ferdinand Marcos, and the challenger, Corazon Aquino, is still in doubt several days after the balloting closed. Each side has claimed victory, and the Marcoscontrolled National Assembly is preparing a final, official count.

Mr Reagan said a 20member group of observers he had sent to watch the poll had reported fraud. But he said the team, led by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman, Richard Lugar, did not have any hard evidence

of fraud. Senator Lugar said his “gut political reaction was that the results of the count on Friday night were managed ... and aborted by Government officials. “Clearly Mr Marcos has the ability to manage the results,” Mr Lugar said. Since the counting was' continuing, the Government still had the ability “to count fair and square.” The Philippine people “believe in the United States and believe in democracy,” he said. Another member of the

delegation said that intimidation had played a part in the vote.

“Every single member of the delegation came back disturbed, some shocked,” said Senator John Kerry, a Massachusetts Democrat, on American television. “We saw people struggling — really struggling — in a most incredible way to achieve democracy,” Senator Kerry said. “And we saw terrible violence and intimidation. “Clearly, there is intimidation when poll workers are kicked out at gunpoint.”