UNSATISFACTORY REPORTS

Chronicle (Levin), 4 November 1946, Page 5

UNSATISFACTORY REPORTS

BULGAKIAN ELECTIONS Rcccivcil Euudiiv, p.m. LONDON, Nov. 2. Reports from :i British diploniat ic obs(*r\cr iil Ihe BulgiLri.HU clcction cxjircss oxtriMiie dissiit isi'iict ion, sjivs tlio Excliiiiigu Tclcgnijili 's diploniHtic corrcsjiondcnt. Tlie Foreign OHiee Jms received reports sayiiig it iippeared that ou a great many oecasions ojipositiou meelings were broken up by organised groups of Governnient supporters. The Govenimenl constantly alleged tli.'H meinbers of ihe oppositioa were i "foreign ageiUs" but refused ihe opposition any opportunity to reply as iiiighl liave been done, the correspond ! 011 1 adds. ' j Other authoritat ive reports received in London point out that 200 members J of ihe opposition Agrarian party are in . a concent ration camp including 30 to j 10 clcction candidates. " The conclusion from all reports was ! that there was severe terrorism during! the campnign and this is reflected in the ; result. Other reports leccived by the ! Foreign Otlice sav that there vviis a I inarked fiilling off of terrorism on elec I tion day. 'J'he opposition appear to ) have been general ly free to cast votes but on the other hand there were many npportunities for plural voting. *The I (lovernment distributed thousands of blank voting card-s which could Jiave'j been used for plural voting. Meuibers | of tlie Alliod mission had a number oi* i sucli cards in their possession. Jt is also alleged that presidents of tlie voting bureau were able to destrov oji position votes and lill in the cards of those wlio abstained, in favour of the ( 'ommunists.