Resounding Success For Gaullists In Election

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29984, 20 November 1962, Page 15

Resounding Success For Gaullists In Election

(N.Z.P. A.-Reuter—Copyright)

PARIS, November 19.

The French electors have dealt a body blow to the traditional professional politicians and boosted President de Gaulle and the Gaullist U.N.R. Party to new heights.

Yesterday’s first ballot in the General Elections gave the Gaullists and their supporters in other parties 62 of the 96 seats won in Metropolitan France and two of the four seats for overseas constituencies.

Official figures issued this morning by the Ministry of the Interior showed that of 18,329,986 valid votes cast 5,847,403 went to Gaullist candidates, foreshadowing the U.N.R. as the largest party in the coming Assembly.

The Gaullists’ prospects for winning a majority of all the 482 seats in the new Assembly as the result of the second ballot next Sunday were considered good in Paris. The Minister of the Interior (Mr Roger Frey) said: “If the voters stick to their guns next Sunday, the U.N.R. should win 250 seats."

The cutgoing Prime Minister. Mr Georges Pompidou, said today: “The elections are the comforting proof of the good sense and logic of the French people. They have again come out for the policy of General de Gaulle and for the stability of the State.” Even the strongly antiGaullist newspaper,

"L’Aurore,” wrote today: “The elections undoubtedly represent a clear success for the candidates of the Fifth Republic." Before midnight tomorrow, candidates in constituencies where there was no final decision yesterday must decide whether to present themselves again in the second ballot.

Judging by preceding elections, a majority of voters, left without the man of their first choice, usually give their votes to the candidate who led the first poll. In about half the constituencies where second ballots will take place next Sunday, the Gaullist led the poll yesterday. An important feature of the elections is the progress of the Communist Party, which obtained nine seats. It seems to have recovered part of the 1.500,000 voters it lost soon after General de Gaulle's return to power, polling 3,992,431 votes, or 21.78 per cent., compared with less than 19 per cent, in 1958. The Socialists suffered a setback from 15.5 per cent, in 1958 t"> 12.65 per cent., with 2,319.662 votes. The other striking phenomenon is the loss of votes by Conservatives openly hostile to the Gaullists. The C.N.I. (Centre National des Independents et Paysans) obtained 1,660,896 votes, representing 9.06 per cent., as compared with nearly 14 per cent, four years ago. Another feature of the elections is the virtual wiping out of the Right-wing extremists with Fascist tendencies, who polled 1.32 per eent., as against more than 3 per cent, in 1958.

Official figures of the results issued by the Ministry of the Interior were:—

Registered voters: 27,535,019. Valid votes cast: 18.329.986. Abstentions: 8.603.280 —31.25 per cent. Communists: 3.992,431 —21.78 per cent. Other Left-wing: 449,743 2.45 per cent. Socialists: 2.319.662—12.65 per cent. Radicals: 1,384,908—7.56 per cent. U.N.R. and pro-Gaullists: 5,847,403 —31.9 per cent. M.R.1.: 1,635,452—8.92 per cent. Moderate Conservatives (proGaullist): 798.092—4.36 per cent. C.N.I. (Conservatives): 1,660,896 —9.06 per cent.

Extreme Right: 241,309 —1.32 per cent. The Communist Party newspaper, “L’Humanite,” this morning called upon the Socialist leader, Mr Guy Mollet, to carry out his preelection recommendation to vote for a Communist rather than for a Gaullist. The Socialist Party newspaper, “Le Populaire.” seemed to be of the same opinion. The Information Minister is holding a press conference this afternoon, when he is expected to appeal to the electors to “finish the job" next Sunday by once again voting for General de Gaulle and the Gaullist candidates.