FRANCE: ANNOUNCEMENT OF M. POHEP'S INTENTION TO STAND AS CANDIDATE IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

Record ID: 872881

  • Title: FRANCE: ANNOUNCEMENT OF M. POHEP'S INTENTION TO STAND AS CANDIDATE IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
  • Date: 12th May 1969
  • Summary: ELYSEE PALACE; PHOTOGRAPHERS; COUVE DE MURVILLE LEAVING AND SPEAKS TO NEWSMEN (SOF); SENATE BUILDING; NEWSMEN AROUND BORDRY; BORDRY SPEAKS (FRENCH SOF). TRANSCRIPT: "M. MARCELLIN AND I HAVE ASKED FOR AN INTERVIEW THIS MORNING WITH M. ALAIN POHER IN ORDER TO DISCUSS WITH HIM THE CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH THIS PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN IS ORGANISED". QUESTION: "IN WHAT POSITIONS - HIS IN PARTICULAR?" COUVE DE MURVILLE: "WELL, IN EVERY POSSIBLE HYPOTHESIS". "I AM IN A POSITION TO ANNOUNCE THAT M. ALAIN POHER ACCEPTS TO BE A CANDIDATE IN THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. HE PUTS HIS CANDIDACY UNDER THE SIGN OF UNION AND RECONCILIATION OF THE FRENCH PEOPLE. (QUESTIONS - INTERRUPTED) NOTHING WILL BE CHANGED CONCERNING THE PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY OF THE REPUBLIC PRESIDENT. THIS IS ALL I HAD TO TELL YOU". Initials GHB/VS/BOB/PC OUR PROD. NO. 3765/690 SERVICED 27 APRIL 1969 REFERS. Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 27th May 1969 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: PARIS, FRANCE
  • City:
  • Country: France
  • Topics:
  • Reuters ID: LVAACX0LW2S8HOBYD1WKLSV2OI7K
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: M. ALAIN POHER, FRANCE'S INTERIM HEAD OF STATE, TODAY (MONDAY) ANNOUNCED THROUGH HIS PRESS ATTACHE THAT HE WOULD BE A CANDIDATE IN NEXT MONTH'S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION TO CHOOSE A SUCCESSOR TO GENERAL DE GAULLE.

    M. POHER, A 60-YEAR-OLD CENTRIST, ANNOUNCED HIS CANDIDATURE IN A STATEMENT AFTER EMERGING AS THE ONLY MAN CAPABLE OF STOPPING GAULLIST GEORGES POMPIDOU'S MARCH TO THE PRESIDENCY. AS PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, MR. POHER AUTOMATICALLY TOOK OVER AS HEAD OF STATE WHEN GENERAL DE GAULLE RESIGNED AFTER LOSING THE REFERENDUM.

    HE SAID HE WAS STANDING AS A CANDIDATE OF "UNION AND RECONCILIATION OF FRENCHMEN".

    APART FROM M. POMPIDOU AND M. POHER, THE MAIN DECLARED CANDIDATES ARE RIGHT-WING SOCIALIST GASTON DEFERRE AND COMMUNIST JACQUES DUCLOS. OBSERVERS EXPECT THAT THE M. POMPIDOU AND M. POHER WILL BE THE TWO CANDIDATES TO WIN THROUGH TO THE SECOND ROUND ON JUNE 15. THE FIRST ROUND IS ON JUNE 1.

    M. POHER'S ANNOUNCEMENT TODAY - READ BY HIS PRESS ATTACHE IN THE SENATE BUILDING - CAME AFTER TWO WEEKS IN WHICH THE INTERIM PRESIDENT CARRIED OUT EXTENSIVE SOUNDINGS AMONG POLITICIANS TO GUAGE HIS CHANGE OF SUCCESS.

    EARLIER, PRIME MINISTER MAURICE COUVE DE MURVILLE, EMERGING FROM THE ELYSEE PALACE, WAS QUESTIONED BY NEWSMEN. HE SAID:
    M. POHER'S ANNOUNCEMENT - READ BY PRESS ATTACHE PIERRE BORDRY - WAS AS FOLLOWS -
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