MEETING WITH PRESIDENT THIEU, AUGUST 30: ELECTIONS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-490-4-32-8
• Release Decision: RIPLIM
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: October 2, 2012
• Sequence Number: 32
• Publication Date: August 30, 1971
• Content Type: CABLE

No Objection to Declassification in Part 2012/10/02 : LOC-HAK-490-4-32-8 ,
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32114402 AUfl TI VIA CAS CHANNELS
FROMs AMBASSADOR BUNKZNOIGQIGON-0818 IMMEDIATE
TOs THE WHITE HOUSE, EXCLUSIVELY EYES ONJf:Y FOR HENRY a. KISSINGER
REFS WHS 10$9
SUBJECTS C~ETINtI WITH PRESIDENT THIEU, AUGUST 30s ELECTIONS
1. I MET WITH ?HIED TODAY AND BROUGHT UP PRESIDENT'S SUGGESTION
OF PROMISING A NEW ELECTION WITHIN NINE MONTHS OF A PEACE SETTLE-
MEhiT, ALOilG WITH REFERENDUM ANNOUNCEMENT. THIEU REACTED
FAVORABLY TC1 THE IDEA BUT HE SUGGESTED A MODIFICATION IN THAT HE
MIGHT SAY THAT HIS AMBITION WAS NOT TO BE PRESIDENT, BUT TO RESTORE '
PEACE TO THE COUNTRY AND THAT IT WAS HIS AMBITIONTHAT THIS COUL? BE
ACHIEVED BEFORE HIS TERM EXPIRED. WHEN A SETTLEMENT WAS REACHED,
HE WOULD RESIaN AND CALL FOR NEW ELECTIONS. ,
2. THIEU HAD SPENT THE DAY CONFERRING WITH MEMBERS OF HIS CABINET
CONCERNING POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS OF THE ELECTORAL PROBLEM. THIEU
SAID THAT THE SITUATION HAD BEEN ALTERED BY f(Y'S SECOND STATEMENT
AMPLYIFYING HIS FIRST STATEMENT SAYING THAT HE WOULD I!'iOT PARTICIPATE
IN THE CAMPAIflN BY ADDINQ THAT HE WOULD NOT TAKE PART iN IHE ELEC?
TION. ?HIS EFFECTIVELY BLOCKED ACTION BY THE CENTRAL ELECTION CAM-
PAIGN COMMITTEE. THIEU, THEREFORE, HAD WRITTEN LAST SATURDAY TO THE
SUPREME COURY ASKING ITS LEGAL OPINION AS TO THE COURSE THE GOVERN-
MENT WAS EMPOWERED ?O TAKE: HE BELIEVES THE COURT WILL REPLY
THAT THE ELECTIDN WILL HAVE TO PROCEED WITH ONE CANDIDATE. THIEU
OBSERVED.THAT WHILE THIS IS PROBABLY A CORRECT INTERPRETATION OF
THE LAW, IT DOES NOT RESPDND TO THE POLITICAL SITUATION,
3. AS A RESULT OF HIS DAY?I,ONG DISCUSSION WITH MEMBERS OF THE
CABINET DEALiNa WITH POLITICAL ASPECT OF THE PRO?LEMS HE HAS CON-
CLUDED THERE ARE THREE ALTER NA?IVESs
A) CONVENE THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, REflUEST, URGENTLY,
~lUICK ACTION WHICH WOULD PROVIDE FORA GREATER NUMBER OF
CANDIDATES BY RESTRICTING ENDORSEMENTS TO NOT MORE 'THAN
40 ASSEMBLY OR f00 COUNCILMEN FOR EACH CANDIDATE, AND
WHICH WOULD.- PRESCRIBE A NEW AND TELESCOPED SCHEDULE FOR
STEPS ENUMERATED IN THE PRESENT LAW.
B3 POSTPOl~E THE ELECTION TO ALLOW NORMAL TIME FOR ITS
ORflANIZATION. THIS WOULD REQUIRE AMENDMENT OF THE
CONSTITUTION, WHICH REQUIRES A TWO~THIRDS VOTE QF THE
ASSEMBLY. THE CONSTITUTIONAL ~AMENDI~ENT COULD PROVIDE
FOR AN EXTENSION OF THE PRESENT GOVERNMENT OR PERMIT .tz~F~R~u?
SENATOR HUYEN, AS PRESIDENT OF THE SEnATE, TO TAKE OVER. ~.-.
CI CONVERSION OF THE Fi,xtMrtn~ 1rn a p~~pcun~~~,
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2012/10/02 : LOC-HAK-490-4-32-8 ,.--
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No Objection to Declassification in Part 2012/10/02 : LOC-HAK-490-4-32-8
4. THIEU WENT Old TO SAY THAT EACH OF THE ALTERNATIVES POSES
PROBLEMS. TN IHE CASE F A) ACTION WILL .HAVE TOE TAKEN BY THE
PRESENT ASSEMBLY. IT P~.~Y BE DIFFICULT, TO CONVENE 'i FiE MEMBERS
NOW THAT THEIR ?ERM IS EXPIRI4~G AldD THE TIME TN'"WHICH THEY CAN
ACT WILL NAVE TO BE LIMITED. IT WOULD BE NECESSARY TO PROMULGATE
THE REVISED SCHEDULE BY SEPTEMBER 10~ W'ITH TktE ELECT ION TO TAKE
PLACE OCT. 3.
5. ALTERNATIVE B~~WILL ALSO REQUIRE ACTION BY THE PRESENT ASSEMBLY
AND IT WILL BE DIFFICULT TO GE? TWO-THIRDS VOIE REflUIRED FQR AME~iD~
ME NT OF THE COMSTITU?ION. THE OPPOSITION MIGHT TRY TO DELAY ACT TON
SO THAT SENATOR HUYEN WOULD TAKE OVER AND ORGANIZE THE ELECTIONS.
THIEU SAID THERE WAS GENERAL CONSENSUS THAT THIS WOULD-LEAD TO A
SITUATION IN WHICH THE COUNTRY HAD ND PRESIDENT FOR THREE MONTHS
AND COULD RESULT I~1 A PERIOD OF DANGEROUS INSTABILITY.
6. REGARDING THE THIRD ALTERNATIVE, A .REFERENDUM, THIEU EXPRESSED
THE 'OPYNTON THAT NEITHER MINH NOR KY WOULD TAKE PART 'IN 7HE REFER-
ENDUM. I POINTED OUT THEY WOULD NOT, OF COURSE! BE CANDIDATES, BUT
THAT THEY WOULD BE FREE TO CAMPAIGN FOR. A VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE AND.
WOULD BE GIVEN FACILITIES TO DO SD. THIEU .SPECULATED THAT WHETHER
OR NOT THEY CAMPAIt3NED ACTIVELY, HE MIGHT SAY 'CHAT IF HE DOES NOT
RECEIVE 50 PERCENT OF THE VOTES HE WOULD WITHDRAW. HE EOULD ALSO
SAY ~ THAT NE HOPED FOR A PEACEFUL SEITLEME NT OF THE WAR DURING HIS,
NEKY TERM OF OFFICE AND WOULD WORK TOWARD THAT END. IF HE WERE
SUCCESSFUL'- TN THIS, HE WOULD UNDERTAKE TO RESIGN! TO INDICA'CE THAT
HIM AMBITIO~t yAS l~tlT IO BE PRESIDENT, BUT . A SETTLEMENT OF THE WAR
AND PEACE.
7. THIEU THEtI SAID THAT HE HOPED TD BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO THE PEOPLE
DN IHE EVENING OF .SEPTEMBER '1 AND WAS CONSIDERING WHAT HE MIGHT
SAY THEN.
CA) REPORT THE COURSE EVENTS HAVE IAKEt~ TO DATES SAY
THAT HE INTENDED TO STICK TO CONSTITUTIONAL PROCEDURES
AND THAT THE FOLLOWING DAY HE WOULD CONSULT WITH THE
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY TO SEE HOW THE ELECTIONS COULD BE
ORGANIZED AND WOULD REPORT AGAIN TO IHE PEOPLE; OR '
(B) OUTLINE t~.EARLY THE COURSE HE PLANNED TO FOLLOW. IF _.
HE DECIDED ON AMElRDMENT OF LAW AND TELESCOPING THE
ELECTORAL SCHEDULES HE WOULD RECALL THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
IMMEDIATELY. IF HE DECIDED ON A REFERENDUt~,~ HE WOULD
OUTLINE HIS TERMS.
8. THIEU SA TD HE WOULD BE GIVING THESE ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERATION
TOMORROW AND CONSULTING FURTHER WITH MEMBERS OF HIS CABINET. ?
HE WOULD WANT TO CONSULT WITH ME AGAIN AND WOLiLD WELCOME ANY
FURTHER SUGGESTIONS WE MIGHT HAVE.
9. I AM REPEATING THIS MESSAGE IN SUBSTANCE ?0 THE SECRETARY
10. WARM EGAR S.
WITH EXCEPTION OF PARAGRAPH 1.
25X' ~'~ES OILY
_tnP S~rQ~T ceuciriuG
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2012/10/02 : LOC-HAK-490-4-32-8