THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 6 MAY 1969

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005976759
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: May 6, 1969

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/19 : CIA-RDP79T00936A007100040001-4
The President's Daily Brief
6 May 1969
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/19 : CIA-RDP79T00936A007100040001-4
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/07/19 : CIA-RDP79T00936A007100040001-4
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
MAJOR PROBLEMS
EUROPE
Confidential polls taken late last week show Pompidou
with a wide popular lead over any single opposition candidate
for the .presidency. In the first testing of French public
opinion since the Gaullists closed ranks behind the former
premier; 4.4 percent said that they would vote for him. The
combined opposition to Pompidou also received a total of 44
percent; but it was divided among four different political
leaders. Twelve percent were undecided.
While the position of moderate leftist Gaston Defferre
has recently improved with Socialist Patty endorsement and
the withdrawal' of-two rivals, his most pressing problem is
his relationship with the Communist Party. He cannot hope
to win without Communist support on the second ballot, but
he is reluctant to court the Communists because of convic-
tion--he has a consistent anti-Communist record--and because
any such action would inevitably alienate the centrists,
The Communist Party itself, which found none of the demo-
cratic left candidates acceptable, has decided to put forward
its own man--old-line Stalinist Jacques Duclos. In parlia-
mentary elections, the Communists usually capture about 20
percent of the vote, but the appeal of a Party candidate for
President has never been tested in a popular election,
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VIETNAM
The treatment accorded Le Duc Tho in Peking and Moscow
on his way back to Paris provides a good indicator that there
has been no basic change in Hanoi's policy of seeking a nego-
tiated settlement of the war. Peking's usual reception of
him--without a word of publicity--suggested continued Chinese
disapproval
Peking
uty Foreign
of Hanoi's policy.
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Tho was seen off at the airport by Dep- 50X1
Minister Han Nien-lung, a very low-level official
for a man of Tho's rank.
In contrast to the cold shoulder Tho got in China, the
Soviets rolled out their customary red carpet for him. Kosy-
gin received him and hosted a dinner in his honor. The com-
munique issued at the conclusion of their meetings reflected
the continued closeness of Hanoi and Moscow. Tho dropped a
hint on his return to Paris that relations with Moscow might
even be improving. In response to a question about Hanoi's
possible attendance at the upcoming Moscow-sponsored confer-
ence of Communist parties, Tho said that Hanoi had not yet
taken a position. From Moscow's point of view, this equiv-
ocation is an advance over Hanoi's former refusal to attend
any of the preparatory meetings for this conference.
MIDDLE EAST
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Husayn is now making a protocol visit to Saudi Arabia
and will return home on Wednesday.
SOVIET AFFAIRS
There is nothing significant to report.
II, OTHER IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS
INDIA
Within the next six months, India must choose a new presi-
dent to succeed the late Zakir Husain and we anticipate that
the selection process will be difficult and acrimonious. The
presidency, like the British Monarchy for which it originally
was a surrogate, traditionally plays a largely ceremonial role,
but the constitution gives the president considerable latent
power. Among other things, he can dissolve parliament and
suspend state governments, and he also serves as commander-in-
chief of the armed forces. So far, he has acted only on the
advice of the cabinet, but this is a convention inherited from
the British rather than a formal requirement. If the Congress
Partyts hold on the country continues to slip--and especially
if the party loses its majority in the parliamentary elections
scheduled for 1972--the presidency is certain to take on much
more importance.
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With these thoughts in mind, Indian politicians of a11
stripes have begun looking around for candidates favorable
to their interest's. The most serious effects of this search
probably will be felt by the Congress Party itself, since the
bitterness engendered in the process will give the party one
More nudge downhill.
PERU
The Velasco government has recently renewed its "moral-
ization" campaign, the goal of which seems to be the Complete
discrediting of normal political processes. This drift to-
ward authoritarianism will be limited to some extent by the
government's desire to maintain hemispheric support for Peru.
in its dispute with the US. Nevertheless, the campaign is
being pressed with considerable vigor. The current emphasis
is on alleged corruption among officials of the previous ad-
ministration and even among dissident members of the current
government. Interior Minister Artola, who seems to be the
campaign's leader, has also denounced local governments for
incompetence and has postponed municipal elections which Were
scheduled for later this year.
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Top Secret
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