BULGARIAN ELECTIONS

Chronicle (Levin), 30 October 1946, Page 5

BULGARIAN ELECTIONS

Received Tuesdav, 7 p.ra. LOXDON, Oct. 28. There was 110 sigu wliatever of force or eompulsion iu the voting at the Bulgarian eleetions, says the Daily Telegraph 's Solia correspondent. Opposition jneiuhers of the local eontrol councils iu Solia and neighbouring villages, with whoni he spoke, declared themselves satislied with the 1'ree nalure of the polling. The Opposition leader, Alr. Petkov, alleged, liowe\er, that the eleetions were not free and declared there were suffieieiU irregularilies to reduce the Opposition voie from the estimated 60 per tent fo ihe present approximate 25 per cent. .M l". 1'etkov attacked ihe issue of speeial voting cards and sliowed a number of voters' cards signed in blank by the ii.il horities which euabled mull'iple votitig despite the complicated system of sal'eguards. The correspondent agrees that ihe electoral law is some what conipliciited Init exprossed the ojiinion that sal'eguards were adequate against mulliple voting and othei abuses. The Ministry of the Interior an liouneed that 1 iie Fatherland Front bloe won 150 1 seat.s and the Opposition KU in the eleetions i'or the National As seinbly. The distribution aniong tho Oovern nient bloe was: — ( 'oiuinnnists 277 Agrarian Union, 09; Social Deniocrats, 9; Zven rnion (the Army Party), 8; l'itdicals, 1. The (tovermnent parties polled 2.93S.756 votes, of which the Oomnuin ists received 2,20)5,105. The Opposition polled 1,2()S,SS2. Since the Oonimnnists won niore than 50 per cent. of all the peats, it is expected that the next Bu! garian Preniier will be the Oommunist leader, Mr. Dimitroff.