Department of State
TELEGRAM
CONFIDENTIAL A-184
To:
Department of State
INFO:
FROM: Amembassy
DATE: June 16, 1970
SUBJECT
: Reported Views of President Yahya on Evolving Political Scene REF A. Pind A-161, 6/1/70 B. Karachi A-109,
6/9/70
During
the course of a two-hour conversation (other matters reported separately), Mr.
Peter Cargill, IBRD Vice President (protect source), told the RO that President
Yahya had given him the following comments on political prospects. These
comments were made to Mr. Cargill at a luncheon hosted by the President at his
residence.
The
President said that he is determined that elections be held as scheduled in
October, while acknowledging that there have already been problems, and that
there are likely to be more. The President went on to say, however, that he is
not sanguine with respect to post-election prospects, i.e., whether the
Constituent Assembly will successfully enact a Constitution within the
prescribed 120 days, whether a stable government will emerge from the
elections, etc.
President
Yahya told Mr. Cargill that he is not a candidate for the Presidency. He looks
forward to retirement from the political scene in April 1971, he said. The RO
observed that the President has often and rather convincingly made statements
to such effect, but asked if Mr. Cargill accepted these at face value. Mr.
Cargill responded that he could not evaluate this, but then went on to note
that the President had remarked that events could turn in such a way that the
military might have to remain in authority, or be called back in the event of
failure of an elected government, in which case he, the President, might be
around "another three years of so".
The
President spoke disparagingly of the politicians, declaring to Mr. Cargill that
he "has not seen a single responsible political leader in the
country".
Farland
Source:
The American Papers- Secret and Confidential India.Pakistan.Bangladesh
Documents 1965-1973, The University Press Limited, p.376