European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 18, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 a. A the stars and stripes tuesday december 18,1990gorbachev seeks vote on Unity Moscow apr president Mikhail Gorbachev called monday for a National referendum to decide whether to hold the 15 soviet republics together under his proposed Union treaty. In a state of the Union message to the Congress of Peoples deputies Gorbachev said the nations economic and political a crisis has us by the  the presidency he continued must be streamlined without returning to the dictatorial Rule of the past. Just after the 2,250-Mcmbcr Congress convened monday a Deputy took the podium and issued an emotional Call for Gorbachev a resignation. She said she is ashamed that her country is accepting foreign food Aid. The Call for a no Confidence vote was rejected but the political divisions that threaten the survival of the soviet state were abundantly evident. Nevertheless Gorbachev said that by working together the soviet people can overcome the crisis within 18 months. A a we have Learned a lesson but we should not be panic stricken a he said. _ Gorbachev urged the Congress to approve proposed constitutional amendments to strengthen the presidency adding the Post of vice president and replacing the 89-member Council of ministers with a Cabinet of about 15  a move would in effect dismiss prime minister Nikolai Ryzhkova who Heads the Council of ministers. Before the Congress opened in the Kremlin on Mon Day Gorbachev a aides indicated that he wanted the body to endorse his proposed treaty to preserve the Union of 15 republics. However delegates from the republics of Lithuania and Armenia were boycotting the meeting and lawmakers from Estonia and Latvia said they would not take part in discussions of tie Union treaty. A the results of the referendum in every Republic will be a final verdict a Gorbachev said. But it was not Clear when the referendum would be held or How it would be administered. The Congress the country a highest lawmaking body has the right to approve the proposed constitutional changes but Only the republics have the Power to approve the Union treaty. Gorbachev apparently sought to remove the decision Sil soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev right and his chief rival Boris Yeltsin the russian republics president Settle in on the podium at the Congress of Peoples deputies in Moscow on monday. Making Power from separatist republics in favor of a direct vote. Gorbachev a chief political rival Boris Yeltsin the president of the russian Republic sat next to him on the podium after Gorbachev offered him the chair Yeltsin who Heads the largest richest and most populous Republic is leading a movement among the re pub lies to wrest economic control from the Central government. A quote a a a the conflict has set off economic and administrative turmoil contributing to the food shortages that have in the past month prompted Gorbachev to seek and secure Western credits food and medical supplies. The Congress has largely supported Gorbachev a Initia thousands strike to demand romanian government resign Bucharest Romania a tens of thousands of students and workers including airline navigators who halted All Domestic flights went on strike monday topless Calls for the government to resign. I Premier Petre roman vowed not to  and president Ion Iliescu held talks however with Radu Campeanu Leader of one of the two main parliamentary opposition parties amid indications that the opposition party might join the government. The current Cabinet is composed solely of members of the National salvation front which overwhelmingly won last May selections. Campeanu Leader of the National Liberal party demanded last week that opposition parties join the government to broaden support for Tough but needed eco nomie reforms and to improve democratic reforms. He also demanded that roman be replaced by a a a Neutral figure a unaffiliated with the front. But roman speaking on National television late sunday firmly rejected Calls for his resignation and stressed that he had sided with All those who revolted against Nicolae Ceausescu romanians longtime communist dictator who was deposed and executed last december. A i took part in the revolution and a on along Voith it with a clean conscience and my Wrath merged with the Peoples a he said. Quot and i will not Budge unreasonable noise ambition for Power will not Budge  the Bucharest talks followed anti government protests to Mark the anniversary of the revolution that toppled Ceausescu on sunday. The demonstrations were far smaller than expected perhaps because roman moved to defuse mounting protest Over economic Reform by announcing dec. 7 that Price hikes on foodstuffs planned for january would be postponed until june. Thousands of people including Many workers on strike flocked monday to the opera Square in the Western town of Timisoara Birthplace of the revolt against Ceausescu. \ v a. Their work stoppage and a class Boycott  have the support of some 100,000 students Are part of an opposition Campaign to get the government to resign because of its alleged Neo communist links and harsh economic re form. After meeting with Campeanu roman said the National salvation front is a a open to a a sharing of responsibility in difficult moment for Romania. Iliescu said on radio that he is a a attempting to find a solution for the participation of some opposition parties in government.�?�. Opens in Bangkok Thailand up about 900 delegates from 23 countries began discussion monday on the International Congress on aids despite the withdrawal of the world health organization who. That action prompted thai Princess Chula Horn to resign As a who special ambassador. The conference which runs through Friday will allow participants to discuss and Exchange ideas in preventing the spread of acquired immune deficiency syndrome. The International Congress on aids was organized by the Chula Horn research Institute Crl. Princess Chula Horn is the Cri chairwoman. Who said earlier it was withdrawing its support because thai Law imposed in lp5, bars aids infected people from entering the com the withdrawal prompted  Chula Horny a resignation on dec. 10 which the Cri statement said the Princess is not in the position and has no privilege to Force thai government to lift the Law. A was we Are All aware aids has become an increasingly important and urgent problem for All nations of the world. No human race or nation can escape its tragic consequences a said Princess Sirin Horn Princess Chula Horny solder sister who presided during the opening ceremony. Lives and its previous three gatherings have been momentous. A /. A. A a the most recent last Spring amended the Constitution to end the communist party guaranteed monopoly on Power. But rival parties have been slow to gain strength and Gorbachev seemed unlikely to face an organized Challenge from either Radical reformers or hard liners in the Congress. V a a Quot a a a a a a a a a Quot a v the Radical inter regional group on Friday ended a two Day caucus without agreeing on a common platform. And on saturday members of the hard line soyuz or Union movement said they would Back Gorbachev a proposals. World today Britannica reaches Deal on russian encyclopedia Moscow apr a soviet publisher and the  encyclopaedia Britannica inc. Plan to publish the first foreign encyclopedia in the soviet Union since 1917, officials said. Britannica. And the soviet state owned Progress publishers have agreed to begin translating a 12-volume edition of the encyclopedia. The project is expected to take five years Britannica said in a news release a v v / a the publishing of a russian language translation is a natural result of the unprecedented changes that have been taking place in Europe Quot Britannica chairman Robert p. Gwinn said Gwyinn signed the agreement with Alex Ardef ave Lichen director of Progress publishers Britannica has worked out similar agreements with China and Japan the statement said dutch telethon collects .2 million for soviets Amsterdam Netherlands apr a nation wide dutch telethon for emergency Aid to the soviet Union has turned into a huge Success despite claims that reports of an imminent soviet famine were exaggerated dutch radio reported sunday. The saturday evening telethon collected a total of $12.2 million which will now be used mostly to buy medicines the radio report said. The four hour show on prime time television was organized by former agriculture minister Gerrit Braks and included live broadcasts from Moscow and news about the dwindling food supplies in Kiev and Leningrad. Brakst a food Aid to the russians foundation had been planning to use the Money to distribute food to residents of Moscow a Lenin District. But the committee changed its strategy after dutch Media reported that there seemed to be enough food to go around in Many soviet cities. Several Western nations have donated Aid to the soviet Union