CONGRESS HALL; DELEGATES ARRIVING; SOUTH AFRICAN DELEGATE; CAMBODIAN DELEGATE; ZAMBIAN DELEGATE; TITO ARRIVING; KARDELJ SPEAKING; TITO SPEAKING.




Initials JH/V/AE/OS



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: PRESIDENT TITO OF YUGOSLAVIA ANNOUNCED ON WEDNESDAY (12 MARCH) A RADICAL RE-STRUCTURING OF THE LEADERSHIP OF THE YUGOSLAVIAN COMMUNIST PARTY. THE PRESIDENT MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT IN A SPEECH IN THE SECOND DAY OF THE NINTH CONGRESS OF THE PARTY IN BELGRADE.

IN HIS 45-MINUTE SPEECH, PRESIDENT TITO OUTLINED THE CREATION OF A NEW 15-MAN PRESIDENTIAL BUREAU GROUPED AROUND HIMSELF AND BRINGING IN LEADERS FROM THE SIX REPUBLICS OF THE YUGOSLAVIAN FEDERATION.

THE NEW TOP BODY WOULD BE IN FREQUENT SESSION AND WOULD ALSO HAVE EFFECTIVE POWERS OVER THE STATE APPARATUS IN AN EMERGENCY. SELECTED PARTY LEADERS FROM THE SIX REPUBLICS WOULD MOVE FROM THEIR CAPITALS TO BELGRADE -- THE FEDERAL CAPITAL -- TO BE PERMANENTLY AVAILABLE IN THE NEW BUREAU.

EXPLAINING HIS MOVE, PRESIDENT TITO SAID "IN VIEW OF THE PRESENT POLITICAL SITUATION IN THE WORLD AND THE NEED FOR MORE FIRM LEADERSHIP AT HOME, IT IS ESSENTIAL THERE SHOULD BE A MUCH MORE STRONG LEADERSHIP THAN UP TO NOW". OTHER PARTY DELEGATES ALSO SPOKE IN WEDNESDAY'S SESSION.

PRESIDENT TITO RECEIVED PROLONGED APPLAUSE WHEN HE EXPRESSED YUGOSLAVIA'S REJECTION OF THE IDEA OF ONE CENTRE FOR THE WORLD COMMUNIST MOVEMENT.

BEFORE THE SPEECH, A WRITTEN REPORT WAS CIRCULATED TO DELEGATES AT THE CONGRESS IN WHICH MARSHAL TITO SAID THAT LARGE SUMS OF MONEY HAD BEEN ALLOCATED TO DEFENCE.

A NUMBER OF FOREIGN DELEGATIONS ARE ATTENDING THE CONGRESS, AMONG THEM REPRESENTATIVES FROM CONG-BRAZZAVILLE, TANZANIA, SOUTH AFRICA, CAMBODIA AND ZAMBIA. MANY OF THE 63 FOREIGN DELEGATIONS REPRESENT NON-COMMUNIST LEFT-WING GROUPS.