European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 26, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 12 the stars and stripes world monday july 26,1993 a a a a a. A. A treaty fight found to Deal major blow London apr prime minister John major weakened of a bitter political Battle Over ratification of the treaty on closer european Union took another beating in opinion polls published sunday. Majors governing conservative party trails the opposition labor party by 10 to 15 Points according to polls in the sunday Telegraph and the sunday times of London. Only half of conservative lawmakers believe major will Lead the party into the next general election the sunday times said in a separate poll. Polls in the sunday express and in the a Independent on sunday both predicted a crushing defeat for the government in a special election thursday in a formerly impregnable conservative District. Major threatened last week to Call a snap general election unless conservative rebels supported the governments forts to approve the Long delayed maastricht treaty on closer european Union. The Gamble worked with the govern ment winning a Confidence vote in the House of commons 339-299. But it Cost major much Good will both inside his party and among voters who consistently Tell the pollsters they oppose the treaty. The sunday Telegraph said foreign Secretary Douglas Hurd brought some rebels on his Side by offering them a Voic in future government policy toward Ope. Gallup poll for the sunday Telegraph said the conservatives had the support of 31 percent of voters Well behind labor with 46 percent. The Liberal democratic party had 20 percent support and the rest was divided among smaller parties. Seventy percent said they were dissatisfied with majors leadership but 56 percent Felt he should carry on rather than polled 771 voters nationwide Friday the Day of the Confidence vote. It did not give a margin of error. A clerk at a private Moscow Kiosk saturday Points to a sign that says a we will accept Only Bills issued in 1993.�?� Ruble recall unleashes frenzy Moscow apr frantic russians dashed to state run Banks to Exchange their doomed rubles after the government declared it would invalidate billions of the old Bank notes to combat inflation. The announcement saturday set off panic and created a financial Nightmare for millions of people. Russians have just two weeks from today until aug. 7, to Exchange their old rubles before they become worthless. A i just got my pension yesterday and now its been annulled a shrieked Vera Ivanowna an elderly woman at a Moscow Bank who declined to give her last name. A a in la starve that a what ill under the new rules russians Are allowed to Exchange Only up to 35,000 rubles about $35 in Cash. Higher amounts will be available Only in the form of savings deposits locked in for six months at the prevailing interest rate. That restriction could help Stem inflation now at 2,500 percent annually by forcing Cash off the Street into Banks. But it will put a severe Strain on most russians who depend on Cash for nearly All their transactions. Within minutes of the announcement frantic listeners called radio stations demanding More information. Shoppers crowded around kiosks and in stores in Moscow looking for things to buy but Many merchants were already refusing any rubles printed before 1993, the cutoff Date. A people Are starting to yell out of panic. But we really done to know what will happen Quot retired architect Lydia Inberg said clutching a wad of old Bills in the Dingy lobby of a savings Bank Branch As people shouted at tellers. Deputy finance minister Andrei Kozmin said the move would counter the effect of rubles flooding in from other former soviet republics and Force those with their own currencies into closer economic cooperation with Russia. An estimated 20 percent of All rubles Are held outside Russia Kozmin said. They have prevented the Central Bank from regulating the rubles value and reversing russian inflation he said. Tellers at several Bank branches refused to change any rubles saturday on orders of their supervisors. Hamburg Marks 43 bombings with Warnin China gearing for Deng s death . Experts say by Jim Mann. Los Angeles times \ Washington Deng Xiaoping China a Paramount Leader for the past 14 years is believed to be dying and some preparations already arc under Way in the chinese political Hierarchy and military for the transition that will follow his death say .-based specialists on China. A the reports have been consistent that his health i on a steady downward trajectory Quot one . Intelligence official said last week. Deng nearly 89, is now said to be virtually incapacitated and unable to meet with even his closest political associates. The Prospect of Deng a death has led to renewed uncertainty in Washington about the future leadership of China the worlds most populous nation and Over the past couple of years its fastest growing Economy. The 1976 death of Mao tse Tung touched off an immediate intense and intricate Power struggle in which within a month Deng Mao a wife and three other senior communist party leaders known As the a gang of four Quot were arrested and imprisoned for life. However . Experts do not believe the divisions within the top political ranks Are As deep now As they were then. Deng a already frail health is said to have taken a Sharp turn for the worse Over the past few months. American medical experts who have kept track of Deng a condition believe he had some form of stroke late last year or Early this year. He is also known to have a progressively debilitating form of Parkinson a disease and some heart and kidney problems. . Intelligence reports say that Deng entered a Beijing Hospital in april and stayed there until approximately the beginning of july. He was released but with no sign that his health had improved sources said. The Cia would not comment on these intelligence reports. Deng is fast losing his ability to Converse or act and Only his wife and children and a personal Secretary Are now permitted to see him. A a he a dying Quot said one american expert with close connections to the . Intelligence Community. It is not Clear How Long Deng could last in this weakened state but estimates Range from a few weeks or months to As much As a year. Since assuming Power at the end of 1978, Deng has guided China a economic reforms while generally keeping the lid on political change. Although he officially retired several years ago he has remained the ultimate source of political authority in China. As recently As last year Deng personally launched China on a remarkable new drive for rapid economic growth by making a trip to the coastal areas of Southern China adjoining Hong Kong where he praised economic reforms and denounced lingering political if Deng were to die now some . Analysts believe the chinese communist party might put together some form of collective leadership with no single dominant figure. In fact after Mao a death it took More than two years before Deng emerged to take charge of the chinese communist party. Others caution that the chinese regime May be unable to function Well without someone playing the role of chairman particularly since authority in China is still based much More on personal ties than on Laws or a Constitution. Hamburg Germany apr with prayers and with Calls to Stem far right extremism Hamburg residents remembered the destruction of their City 50 years ago by Allied bombers in a six Day attack called operation gomorrah. More than 1,000 invited guests attended a memorial service saturday beside the ruins of the 16th-Century St. Nicholas Church. The 485-foot spire of the Church served As a Marker to . And British aircraft that bombed Hamburg killing at least 30,000 people. Ignatz Bubis head of the Central Council of jews in Germany asked Why Germany has not been Able to Stop a wave of violence against foreigners and jews since reunification in 1990. A with 80 million citizens with a state that is so Strong and powerful Why Are we not finished with this Small group of violent criminals a Bubis asked. The president of the City Council Elisabeth Krausch said the people had not known in 1943 about the a a gomorrah code name for the bombing but they experienced the biblical storm of a fire and Brimstone that gave the operation its name
