ELECTIONS IN BRAZIL

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27472, 5 October 1954, Page 13

ELECTIONS IN BRAZIL

Results Not Known Yet RIO DE JANEIRO, October 3. Brazilians voted today in Congressional, State, and municipal elections that will define the strength of the new Government of President Joao Cafe-Filho. The big question was whether the voters would choose the Leftist candidates who supported the late President Getulio Vargas or back President Cafe’s Right Wing adherents. Chosen were 326 members of the Chamber of Deputies, 42 senators, 11 State governors, and many municipal officials. The results of the balloting, in which about 12,000,000 of the registered voters were expected to participate, will not be known immediately. Counting the votes will begin at noon Tomorrow and it may take 15 ckys to complete. Federal troops stood, ready to maintain order in 158 municipalities and paratroopers were alerted to fly anywhere they were needed. But no incidents were reported. President Vargas, who committed suicide, remained a key figure in the election. A coalition of Leftist parties centring around his Brazilian Labour Party has blamed the United States for a political-military crisis that forced him to relinquish the Presidency just before he killed himself on August 23. In a final note which Vargas left to his followers, he accused international financial interests of “looting” the country.: z The Centre and Right-wing forces, typified by the Democratic Union, have contended that some of Vargas's own supporters betrayed him, infecting his regime with corruption. These forces generally look to President Cafe as their leader.