South Viet Nam: Et Thieu?

Two weeks ago, Premier Nguyen Cao Ky declared his candidacy for the presidency of South Viet Nam. His only reservation in standing for the Sept. 3 elections, he said, was that he would “never” oppose his colleague in the ruling military directorate, General Nguyen Van Thieu, should Chief of State Thieu decide to run. Though both officers had wanted a single “military” candidate to avoid splitting the army’s loyalties in the balloting, both also want the presidency badly. So last week Thieu called Ky’s bluff. He announced that he, too, would run, although it would be two or three weeks before he formally threw his hat in the ring. That left both Ky and Thieu the choice of withdrawing or deciding to do battle in a campaign for the presidency that could split the country.