Flags, Banners and Bands

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 15161, 19 December 1949, Page 3

Flags, Banners and Bands

Bulgarians Go To The Polls Communist Candidates The Only Ones (Rec. 8.45 a.m.) London, Dec. 18. The Bulgarian News Agency reports heavy polling in today’s elections in Bulgaria. Sofia Radio says that in many centres voting was finished by early afternoon. The radio had been describing long festive queues at the polling booths, with flags and banners soliciting votes for the Communist candidates —the only ones there were. Every where, says the radio, the workers’ confidence in the brilliant victory for the Parliament front, was apparent. Outside the polling places, it said, bands were playing and dances were being organised by what were described as “agitation groups.” i Previously throughout the day. the radio had broadcast an appeal to electors to vote “yes,” and, as it put it, “Let us show unanimously our solidarity with the Government, our devotion to the Soviet Union and the great Stalin and our determination to defend the cause of peace, democracy and socialism.” Rapid improvements were promised, now that, as the radio said, traitors, spies and saboteurs had been liquidated.