JAGAN RETURNED

Press, Volume C, Issue 29599, 23 August 1961, Page 15

JAGAN RETURNED

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

GEORGETOWN (British Guiana), August 22 Dr. Cheddi Jagan was returned to power for four more years today in Britain’s only South American eoiony.

Returns from yesterday's General Election gave Dr Jagan's Communist - leaning People's Progressive Party 19 of the 35 seats in the new Legislature, and at least two of the five unreported constituencies were expected to be added to the 53-year-old East Indian dentist’s majority;

Britain has promised the colony internal self-govern-ment and said it could apply for independence within two years. Dr lagan is an admirer of Dr. Fidel Castro, but has oromised a foreign policy of “active neutralism” The negro - dominated People’s National Congress, led by a former assistant of Dr Jagan, Mr Forbes Burnham. won nine seats and Mr Peter D’Aguiar’s conservative, anti-Communist United Perce Party won two.

Dr. Jagan was expected to come to Georgetown today from his inland home district to accept the invitation of the British Governor (Sir Ralph Grey) to become British Guiana’s first Prime Minister in name as well as fact, the Associated Presss said.

Dr. Jagan is expected to demand independence within the Commonwealth immediately. He was backed mostly by his fellow East Indians, who were brought to the country to work the rice and sugar fields and who now make up about half the population of 560,000. The negroes supported Mr Bumham, while the colony’s business community. Europeans and Roman Catholics, favoured Mr D’Aguiar. Associated Press said.

Dr. Jagan and Mr Burnham won Legislative Council seats easily and Mr D’Aguiar was elected from Georgetown after a hard campaign fight with Mrs Winifred Gaskih, the wife of the former West Indian cricketer, Berkeley Gaslan.