Austrian Chancellor Quits After Election of Waldheim

Chancellor Fred Sinowatz, a Socialist, abruptly resigned today and was replaced by a member of his Cabinet, one day after conservative Kurt Waldheim scored a decisive victory in the presidential election.

Sinowatz, who headed the Socialist government for more than three years, will be succeeded as chancellor by Finance Minister Franz Vranitzky, 49.

Sinowatz announced his resignation in a brief statement to reporters and denied that Waldheim’s convincing victory was his sole reason for quitting. “There were many components,” he said.

The Socialist Party has been hit by economic problems, a scandal in the wine industry and other tribulations, and faces national elections next April.

First in History

But the resignation was the first time in Austria’s postwar history that the Socialist Party had not backed the winner of the president’s office.

Sinowatz, 57, also stressed he would remain head of his party. He took over as chancellor and party leader from Bruno Kreisky in May, 1983, but never sought to emulate Kreisky’s role as an international politician.

“I do not rule out other changes in the government,” said Vranitzky, who spoke after Sinowatz stepped down.

Vranitzky said he will be sworn in as chancellor June 16 by outgoing President Rudolf Kirchschlaeger. Waldheim, who was elected to a six-year term, will be sworn into office July 8.

Ceremonial Office

The chancellor holds a powerful office in Austria, while the president fulfills largely ceremonial functions.

Sinowatz’ resignation came after a brief session by the Socialist Party leadership. The party has controlled the government for 16 years.

Waldheim, 67, was backed by the conservative People’s Party. The former U.N. secretary general collected 2,464,598 votes, or 53.9% of the ballots cast in Sunday’s runoff, to 2,107,317 votes, or 46.1%, for Socialist candidate Kurt Steyrer.

Waldheim received widespread support from the environmentalist Greens and Socialists disenchanted with the work of the Vienna government and the party’s involvement in a series of scandals.

War Crimes Charged

Since early March, Waldheim’s campaign had been dogged by charges from the New York-based World Jewish Congress that he had been involved in war crimes in the Balkans, where he served during World War II as a lieutenant in the German army.

Waldheim repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, but he was forced to concede that he had kept silent for almost four decades on his whereabouts during three crucial wartime years.

Waldheim’s victory was quickly followed by comment from abroad that many Austrians were bound to dislike: criticism from Israel and support from the Soviet Union.

Israel ordered its ambassador home from Austria for consultations to protest Waldheim’s victory. Ambassador Michael Elitzur said on Israel radio he will return this week.

Further Steps Possible

Foreign Ministry officials said the ambassador will meet with Israeli leaders on possible further steps to demonstrate Israel’s opposition to Waldheim’s election.

Some politicians demanded that the government end relations with Vienna, but others said that might cause an anti-Semitic backlash against the 8,000 to 9,000 Jews in Austria.

Small demonstrations against Waldheim’s election were held at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem and the Austrian Embassy in Tel Aviv. The Knesset, Israel’s Parliament, scheduled an emergency debate on the matter for Tuesday.

In Tel Aviv, a government spokesman said, “Israel expresses its deep regret and disappointment at the election of Kurt Waldheim as president of Austria.”

Election No Surprise

“The election did not come as a surprise, but until the last moment, we hoped that logic and reason would prevail, and that the election of a man like Waldheim would be prevented,” the spokesman said.

In contrast, the Soviet Union hailed Waldheim’s election as a defeat for “the U.S. Administration and Zionist circles.”

The official press agency Tass said the election represented a victory over a U.S.-backed campaign against him. Tass said “the U.S. Administration and Zionist circles resorted to a flagrant interference in the pre-election struggle and launched a campaign of personal hostile attacks against Waldheim in an attempt to influence the outcome.”

Following his victory, Waldheim told a television audience, “The result showed that the Austrian people are not prepared to accept these accusations that have been made against me.”

Only Personal Statements

Asked to comment on the charges, Waldheim said, “I would like to say here with all certainty that this criticism did not come from governments, but exclusively from personal statements, from one minister or from the other in Israel.”

As Austria’s head of state, he will receive foreign guests and make state visits to other countries. But legislators in some countries, including the United States, Britain and Israel, have demanded he be banned because of his alleged activities in the German army.

Meanwhile today, in Vienna, Nazi-hunter Simon Wiesenthal called for an international committee to examine all the war records pertaining to Waldheim’s career.

‘Matter Not Finished’

“The matter of Mr. Waldheim was not finished by the election,” said Wiesenthal. “I have already appealed to Yugoslavia to release all the documents they have and I proposed that all the interested countries . . . create a committee of experts to examine the war documents.”

Wiesenthal has not joined organizations like the World Jewish Congress in accusing Waldheim, then a first lieutenant, of war crimes or complicity.

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