M. Lumumba said he would personally support M. Jean Bollikango of the Puna Party, which previously was allied with the Abako Party, as a candidate for the post of Head of State - a post M. Kasabuvu demanded for himself in earlier negotiations.
A few hours later, shortly before he was to present his Government to Parliament in Lumumba, he claimed that his political rival, M Joseph Kavasubu, had agreed to co-operate for the "price" of three Cabinet posts.
He said he had offered the Finance Ministry, a Ministry of State, and a Secretariat of State to M. Kasabuvu's Abako party "in the interests of National Unity".
Armed Police surrounded the Leopoldville Provincial Assembly building today after the "rebel" provincial government formed by M. Joseph Kasabuvu's Abako party marched into it and demanded to be allowed to sit there.
Assembly clerks' strike
The Provincial Governor, M. André Stenmans, refused the demand made by M Gaston Diomi, president of the Abako Government. M. Diomi replied by calling a strike of the assembly which backs the Abako party. This at once paralysed the work of the assembly.
The Abako provincial Government was formed after the party was put into minority in the recent elections by the African Solidarity Party. The Abako party's influence centres on Leopoldville and extends over the western tip of Congo, influencing the country's only seaport.
The party demanded in its petition to the Governor that regular provincial Government should remain elsewhere and that Abako should be allowed to govern inside its own stronghold.
The governor refused on the ground that the Belgian government cannot recognise the legality of the Abako Government - during the next week while the Belgians are still in power.
