OFFICIALS ARRIVING AT ELYSEE PALACE: POMPIDOU ARRIVING AND GREETED BY POHER: FLAG CEREMONY: PARTY ON PALACE TERRACE: POMPIDOU INSPECTING HONOUR GUARD: ARC DE TRIOMPHE: POMPIDOU ARRIVING AT ARC, REVIVING FLAME, SIGNING BOOK AND LEAVING: BAND PLAYING. (NATSOF)




Initials LD/V/MR/OS



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Background: AT THE ELYSEE PALACE IN PARIS, OUTGOING AND INCOMING OFFICIALS GATHERED TODAY (FRIDAY) FOR THE INAUGURATION OF THE 19TH PRESIDENT OF FRANCE, M. GEORGES POMPIDOU. THE NEW PRESIDENT WAS GREETED BY HIS DEFEATED OPPONENT, M. ALAIN POHER, WHO, SINCE 5 P.M. THE PREVIOUS DAY, HAD RESUMED HIS DUTIES AS PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE. AFTER THE PUBLIC PROCLAMATION OF THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION RESULTS AND THE OFFICIAL ELYSEE CEREMONIES, PRESIDENT POMPIDOU DROVE TO THE ARC DE TRIOMPHE FOR THE TRADITIONAL CEREMONY OF "REVIVING" THE FLAME AT THE TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER.

M. POMPIDOU ARRIVED AT THE ELYSEE AT 11 A.M. ACCOMPANIED BY M. MAURICE COUVE DE MURVILLE, THE MAN WHO REPLACED HIM AS PRIME MINISTER A YEAR AGO. AFTER BEING GREETED BY M. POHER, THE PARTY ENTERED FOR THE INAUGURAL CEREMONIES WHICH INCLUDED THE READING OF THE ELECTION RESULTS, THE PRESENTATION OF THE INSIGNIA OF THE GRAND MASTER OF THE LEGION OF HONOUR TO PRESIDENT POMPIDOU, AND A SPEECH BY THE NEW PRESIDENT.

THEN THE PARTY, WHICH INCLUDED M. POMPIDOU'S NEWLY-APPOINTED PRIME MINISTER JACQUES CHABAN-DELMAS, ATTENDED THE CEREMONY OF THE FLAG ON THE TERRACE OF THE ELYSEE.

IN THE AFTERNOON, THE INAUGURATION ACTS CONTINUED - STARTING WITH THE TRADITIONAL STOP AT THE ARC DE TRIOMPHE, WHERE THE PRESIDENT PERFORMED THE TRADITIONAL CEREMONY OF "REVIVING THE FLAME" AT THE TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER.

FROM THE ARC DE TRIOMPHE, THE PRESIDENT RETURNED TO THE ELYSEE AND THEN ON TO THE CITY HALL WHERE THE MINISTER OF THE INTERIOR WAS TO PRESENT HIM TO THE OFFICIALS.

THE FINAL OFFICIAL PRESIDENTIAL ACT OF HIS FIRST DAY AS PRESIDENT WAS TO BE M. POMPIDOU'S ACCEPTANCE OF THE RESIGNATION OF M. COUVE DE MURVILLE AS PRIME MINISTER.