The Press THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1946. The Soviet Elections

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24800, 14 February 1946, Page 4

The Press THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1946. The Soviet Elections

■ The votes have been counted in Russia. Of the total registered electorate of 99,550,353, fewer than 500,000, as Moscow’s brief survey to-day shows, failed to vote. The absolute number of votes cast, 99,076,353, is easily a record for any election anywhere at any time—nearly 9,000,000 more, even, than were cast at the last general election of the Supreme Soviet eight years ago. One record, however, still escapes Moscow. The percentage of votes cast has risen, since 1937, from 96.87 of those registered to 99.5. But it is still a less spectacular figure than the best that Mussolini’s Italy could boast—99.B4 per cent, in the 1934 general election. The figures the Moscow radio has given out are, of course, only of academic interest. No electoral struggle took place last Sunday. The names of the delegates to the Soviet of the Union and the Soviet of the Nationalities were known weeks before. The right of nomination belongs to the Communist Party organisations, to the trade unions, to the co-operatives, to organisations of youth, and to other legally registered organisations of the workers; that is, to organisations under strict party control, exercising their right in open meeting by show of hands. Each nominee, moreover, has to satisfy an electoral commission before becoming a candidate, and, this year, as before, only one candidate was permitted to stand in each constituency. The election on Sunday thus turned entirely on the right of nomination. Yet the results, in greater detail than they are presented to-day, will be worth study. The elector has a choice of sorts. Though he may not substitute any name for that of the official candidate on the ballot paper, he may strike it off, if he wishes to exercise his lean privilege. In 1937, some electors did cast negative votes. According to a cablegram on Monday, there were 630,000; according to another source, Mr de Basily, claiming to quote “Pravdd” of December 17,1937, there were 1,194,476. Moscow has yet to announce the number of negative votes cast on Sunday. It will be more difficult to call this poll a “ solemn farce ”, as “ The Times ” called the last, if it reveals a growing critical spirit among the electors. It will be more difficult still if news yet to come from Moscow shows that the balance of power in the new Supreme Soviet is less heavily weighted in favour of the Communist Party than it was in the last. It is possibly too early to say, as Mr Freund recently said, that the Soviet election is “ only window- “ dressing ”.