1.
GV PAN along front of Presidential Palace
0.05

2.
GV INT. Ongania with officials inside Presidential Palace (5 shots)
0.26

3.
GV Police guarding entrance (2 shots)
0.38

4.
MV Cars leaving followed by police truck (3 shots)
0.51

5.
MV Soldiers leaving (3 shots)
1.04



Initials CM/PN/PC



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: An army officer and a civilian emerged today (June 10) as favourites to succeed deposed Argentinian President Juan Carlos Ongania.

With troops sealing off the exits to the Presidential Palace in Buenos Aires, President Ongania finally emerged from the front door. He was driven 200 yards (metres) to the Defence Ministry, and there he handed in his resignation to the ruling Military Junta.

One of the favourites to succeed the President is General Osiris Villegas, aged 52, who is currently Argentine Ambassador in Brazil. He is a former Head of the National Security Council, and he returned to Argentina last Monday when Ongania was deposed.

The second contender is a civilian, Jose Rafael Caceres Monie, a 52-year-old lawyer who was Defence Minister in Ongania's Cabinet. He was yesterday named Interior Minister by the Military Junta. He strongly backed the military chiefs in the overthrow of the President.

Monie told a press conference in Buenos Aires on June 9 that there would be one President in future, but the armed forces chiefs would act as legislators with whom laws would have to be discussed. He declined to give details of the Junta's political plan, and said he did not know who the future President or Cabinet members would be.