1.
Lubomir Strougal and Ludvik Svoboda shaking hands


2.
The ministers, the first row from the left: Michel Stancel, the minister of work and social affairs, Vlastimil Chalupa, the minister of communication, Andrej Barcak, the minister of foreign trade, colonel general Martin Dzur, the minister of defence, Bohuolav Vecera, the minister of agriculture, Jindrich Zahradnik, a vice premier, Professor Karel Lace, a vice premier, Frantisek Ramous, a vice premier, Vaclav Hola, a vice premier and the chairman of the State Planning Commission, Professor Peter Colotka, a vice premier


3.
Ludvik Svoboda speaking


4.
Ludvik Svoboda and Lubomir Strougal


5.
The ministers - a toast




Initials



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: According to regulations of the constitutional law about the Czechoslovak Federation, the cabinet of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic resigned on the opening session of the newly elected federal parliament, on Thursday, December 9. The President of the Public, Ludvik Svoboda, accepted this resignation and named a new cabinet, on the basis of a proposal by the Central Committee of the National Front of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic. The new members of the cabinet gave the oath prescribed by the constitution into the hands of the President of the Republic at Prague Castle. After the oath, Lubomir Strougal, who remains the prime minister, delivered a speech. He thanked the President of the Republic for his trust expressed to the new cabinet and emphasized that the cabinet is aware of all difficult tasks to be solved and that all the members will do their best to solve all the problems. In his reply, the President of the Republic, Svoboda, emphasized that by the recent elections and by the formation of the new government, the consolidation process in the state and the society culminated. He pointed out the fifth five year plan whose fulfilment is the chief task of the now government. After the end of the official ceremony, the President Svoboda stayed with the members of the new cabinet in a friendly discussion.