GERMAN LOCAL ELECTIONS

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24983, 18 September 1946, Page 7

GERMAN LOCAL ELECTIONS

RESULTS IN BRITISH ZONE INDEPENDENTS’ SUCCESS (Rec. 8 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 16. The elections for borough and parish councils in the British zone of Germany have resulted in a victory for the Independents—local leaders who had not attached themselves to any officially recognised party. With 36,000 candidates, they have gained 23,343 seats of 68.000 declared. Figures for the other parties are:— Christian Democrats, 20,621 seats; Social Democrats, 16,172; Centrists, 1737; Freedom Democrats, 1923; Communists, 694: Conservatives, 24; Rhenian People’s Party, 2. The figures cover 79 to 80 per cent, of the zone. The provisional final figures for the French zone are:—Christian Democrats, 1,273,574 votes; Social Democrats, 563,507; Communists, 180,466; Democrats, 87,015; others, 637,849. A total of 2,860,064 votes was cast out of an electorate of 3,299,135, of which 140,069 votes were invalid. Two provinces voted in the Russian zone. The provisional final figures for the Mecklenburg Province are:— Socialist Unity Party, 677,177 votes; Christian Democrats, 162,730; Women’s Committee, 12,692; Peasant Union, 18,185. The corrected figures for the Brandenburg Province, not including the Soviet sector of Berlin, are:—Socialist Unity Party, 820,600 votes; Christian Democrats, 259,038; Liberal Democrats, 236,287; minor parties, 52,942. Reuter’s correspondent, commenting on the seats and figures only available for the British zone, says that as far fewer votes were needed to obtain a council seat in a small village than in a medium-sized town, the distribution of seats is by no means proportional to the votes cast. Local independents in the country no doubt gained more seats in proportion to their votes than the largely . urban Social Democrat and Communist parties. The Berlin correspondent of “The Times” says the British encouraged Independents in the zone in an attempt to avoid a purely party approach to the elections, and to ensure reasonably honest and efficient local councils.

The Hamburg correspondent of “The Times” says that because of the peculiar voting system, which was partly direct election and partly proportional representation, the allocation of seats in the British zone does not reflect the election figures. In actual votes, the Christian Democrats lead with 6,863,948. The Independents received 2,718,558. The correspondent adds that the Independents’ favourable position in the new councils is due to the absence of elections in many small places, and also the fact that Independents frequently stood on the direct list where a simple majority was decisive. A Christian Democrat. Mr Nitt, is i reported to have oeen expelled from ' Mecklenburg, in the Russian zone of Germany for allegedly informing the Hamburg radio of the election results. The Russian commandant is said to ■.have been very disturbed because, in | spite of precautions, the Hamburg , radio broadcast the results before they were officially announced.