
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, May 2, 1993                   TAG: 9305020028
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A10   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: PARIS                                LENGTH: Medium

OUSTED PREMIER KILLS SELF

Pierre Beregovoy, ousted as France's premier when his Socialist Party was crushed in March elections, shot himself in the head Saturday and died hours later on the way to the hospital.

Beregovoy died shortly after 10 p.m. (4 p.m. EDT) in the helicopter en route from his hometown of Nevers to a military hospital in Paris, 150 miles to the north, a Defense Ministry spokesman said on condition of anonymity.

Among those awaiting Beregovoy at the hospital were President Francois Mitterrand, a longtime friend, and Edouard Balladur, the conservative who took over as premier March 29.

Political colleagues said Beregovoy had been deeply stung by the Socialists' landslide defeat. They said he also was dismayed by the disclosure in February that he received an interest-free $180,000 loan in 1986 from a businessman later jailed on corruption charges.

Authorities said Beregovoy shot himself with his bodyguard's gun while walking along a canal near Nevers. They said he asked his driver and bodyguard to let him walk alone, then shot himself with the gun, which Beregovoy apparently had taken unnoticed.

Earlier in the day, Beregovoy had conferred with local union leaders and presided at the start of an amateur bicycle race.

Beregovoy served almost exactly one year as premier after replacing controversial Edith Cresson. Earlier, he served two widely praised stints as finance minister.

Colleagues said he held himself responsible for the Socialist defeat and was depressed that doubts about his honesty had surfaced despite his insistence he had done nothing wrong in accepting the interest-free loan.

Keywords:
FATALITY

by CNB