European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 31, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 2 a a a the stars and stripes saturday March 31,1990news update australian election Sydney Australia apr prime minister Bob Hawke claimed Victory thursday in the March 24 general election becoming the first labor Leader to win four consecutive terms. His opponent Liberal party Leader Andrew Peacock conceded defeat and said he would resign tuesday As head of the opposition after the final election tallies showed labor with a commanding Lead. The final results still Haven to been completely tallied but political analysts said labor had captured 77 seats giving it a Clear majority in the 148-member House of representatives. Peacocks forces won 70 seats and one seat was captured by an Independent election analysts said. Hawke 60 and in Power since 1983, promised to form a government that would work for a fall  elections Dhaka Bangladesh apr president Hussain Muhammad Ershad said in an interview published thursday that he will order Early elections if the opposition agrees to participate. A a in be no objection to holding National elections before the schedule if it helps democracy a Ershad said. A but i can Only order polls. It s not my responsibility to bring them the opposition to  for the past two years the main opposition parties have flatly refused to participate in elections unless Ershad resigns but recently there have been indications that some of them might reconsider. Ershad a former army general seized Power in a bloodless coup in 1982 and subsequently was elected president in a fraud tinged ballot. Poindexter Case prosecutor says evidence of cover up a powerful Washington apr the prosecutor in John Poindexter a trial Friday said evidence that the former National Security adviser engaged in a cover up of the Iran Contra scandal is powerful and convincing. A i done to know what John Poindexter a defense is to the charges in this indictment a prosecutor Dan Webb told the 12 jurors in closing arguments. The defense Case appears to be a largely irrelevant a said Webb. Webb said that if the jurors at Poindexter a trial sat in 1,000 cases they would a never find evidence More powerful and More  the defense witnesses included former president Reagan who Webb said a did no to have the slightest clue whether John Poindexter did or did not participate in the crimes he is accused of com mitting. In two Days of videotaped testimony Reagan was questioned by defense attorney Richard Beckler about his various meetings with foreign leaders in support of the nicaraguan contras. A for the life of me i could not understand what that had to do with the issues in this Case a said Webb. Poindexter is accused of concealing from Congress Oliver North a secret military assistance to the contras and the . Role in a november 1985 shipment of Hawk missiles to Iran. The shipment was ratified by a politically embarrassing presidential document that Poindexter destroyed hours after allegedly lying to Congress. Webb said the defense had engaged in a a scatter gun lets throw mud against the Wall lets see what happens approach. A that Type of defense insults your intelligence Webb told the jury. When the defense rested tuesday after calling 15 witnesses Webb called no rebuttal witnesses for the government w there was nothing to rebut a said North whose vhf Days of testimony was the Centrepiece of the Case against Poindexter a was right in the Middle of it said the prosecutor. It granted immunity from prosecution North had to go on the witness stand whether he wanted to or not a said Webb. North testified reluctantly against the former National Security adviser. He said he watched his Boss tear up the presidential document that ratified the Hawk shipment to Iran. . Car makers to close some plants for 1 week put others on overtime Detroit up a the nations leading automakers said Friday they plan to Idle several Assembly plants next week because of slow sales of some cars and trucks while placing other plants on overtime to fill dealer orders mostly for All new 1991 models. Chrysler corp. Said Friday it plans to Idle its Sterling Heights Plant for one week starting monday to trim higher than Normal inventories of its compact Dodge Shadow and Plymouth Sundance cars. The move will affect about 2,300 hourly workers. Company spokesman Doug Nicoll also confirmed that about 400 hourly workers would be indefinitely idled at its jeep Plant in Toledo Ohio in late april due to a 12 percent decline in vehicle sales. The no. 3 automaker said earlier this month it would also Idle a total of 10,400 hourly workers at three other plants for one week starting monday also because of slow sales. Those plants include its jeep facility in Toledo Ohio its Large car Plant in Belvidere Iii and its midsize car Plant in Newark Del Chrysler also plans to operate its minivan plants in Windsor Ontario and Fenton to. On overtime during april the Windsor Plant will be closed Between june 22 and july 27, while the Fenton Plant will be closed from july 20 until aug. 24. Ford motor co. Will Idle its Mustang car Plant in Dearborn mich., and its thunderbird Cougar Plant in Lorain Ohio for one week starting monday because of a shortage of dealer orders for those cars. But it will run several plants on overtime next week to fill orders for its new models a company spokesman said As Well As run its Lorain Ohio Van Plant on overtime to meet demand for its econ line Model Ford factories on overtime next week include its Wixom and Wayne mich., plants that build the luxury town car and new subcompact escort respectively. Also on overtime is its Louisville by Plant that makes the new explorer sport Utility truck. General motors corp. Said Friday it plans to Idle about 6,000 workers at its Oklahoma City midsize car Plant next  scouts Heidelberg West Germany a a member of troop 26 soon will be joining the ranks of the Eagle scouts the highest Honor in scouting. W. Douglas Marks 17, has been involved in scouting for 10 years and has earned 26 Merit badges. For his Eagle scout project he renovated the Day care Center playground at the army Hospital in Heidelberg. Along with a group of Volunteer scouts he sanded painted and re fortified the wooden playground equipment. The area had failed two previous safety inspections. The Heidelberg High school senior is the son of it. Col. William Marks and Janie Marks. To earn the Eagle scout award a boy scout must fulfil requirements in the areas of leadership service and outdoor skills. This includes earning at least 21 Merit badges and completing a Community service project. Price hike for military uniforms expected to be less than planned by Chuck Vinch Washington Bureau Washington a the defense department will drastically scale Back a planned uniform retail Price increase announced in january a military uniform Board official said. The Pentagon had announced a whopping average increase of almost 20 percent to take effect oct. 1. It reflected a jump in the surcharge that the defense logistics Agency tacks on to the Price it pays for uniform items. Most estimates now put the Price in crease for uniform items this year at about 10 percent or less the official said. Earlier this month the Pentagon a clothing and textile rag Council fearing that the 20 percent increase would be too much of a Burden for servicemen Bers persuaded logistics representatives to scale Back the surcharge increase the uniform Board official said. The Agency will submit a new set of Price lists next month. The Council is made up of senior officers from All services who meet regularly to discuss uniform issues. The surcharge designed to defray the operating costs of keeping up the logistics Agency a material manufacturing shipping storage and distribution systems is rising As a result of president Bush a year old defense management  Section of that review deals with the need for the Agency to simplify the Way it buys and stocks uniform items and raise surcharges to More accurately reflect the Cost of maintaining the governments uniform  surcharge was scheduled to Rise from 20.3 percent of the Price the go eminent pays for items to 43.9 percent. No charged in daughters death surplus sales Hanau West Germany a an announced plan to accept Marks for purchases at defense re utilization and marketing service sales in Hanau has been postponed. Only dollars will be accepted at the next Sale which is scheduled for 10 . To i . Friday in building 636 at Gross nauheim Cavern. Household furniture computers bicycles clothing and books will be available. The Public is invited to attend. Christina Valdez. Doctors on duty wednesday morning when Michele Lee Valdez was brought to the air Force Hospital in Wiesbaden said that the child May have been battered to death. The autopsy report on the cause of death was not completed by Friday of. I Lemoon a Hospital spokesman said. The m Mannheim Larry Rosenberg said. Autopsy would also determine whether his West German wife who was taken the girl had been chronically abused and into civilian police custody thursday was malnourished was released Friday due to a Lack of Evi Michele was pronounced dead on Arri Dence he said. West German officials Val at the Hospital. The girl was taken however Are continuing to investigate there by her father and his platoon ser by Crystal Laureano staff writer Mainz West Germany a an 8th inf div sergeant was charged Friday with murder and child neglect in the death of his 8-year-old daughter a military Community spokesman said. Staff sat. Ricardo Valdez 34, will be held in pretrial confinement at the army facility id. Geant after her Stepmother had called Valdez at work to say that something wrong with her. Since the death the couple s other three daughters have been m faster a they Are 6, 8 and 10 years old. Two the girls Are Christina a children an or daughter is from the sergeant p Vious marriage As was Michele. The family lived in the Clark hous area at Fin then army afield. Valdez is from Mission Texas worked at be Racks in Mainz As a mortar Man assign he co 4th in 34th Armor he has been n West Germany since March 19