Post Office Used For Election Propaganda

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30366, 15 February 1964, Page 13

Post Office Used For Election Propaganda

(N.Z.P.A.-Reutcr —Copyright) ATHENS, February 14. From sunrise to sunset on Sunday 5,700,000 Greek men and women over 21 years of age will go to the polls to elect the 300 members of the new Parliament, due to convene on March 19.

The election, the second in less than four months, is being fought by the leaders of the three political parties with bitterness and vituperation. The caretaker cabinet, led by the 64-year-old banker, Mr John Paraskevopoulos, who has promised to conduct “fair and honest” elections, is submerged every day with complaints of alleged irregularities. To prevent any abuse, the Government has issued a degree providing penalties ranging from one month to three years’ imprisonment for any official, including communal authorities, who favour one or other of the contesting parties. The same penalties will be applied to any person attempting, by threat or bribery, to induce citizens to vote for one or other lists of candidates. The election, the ninth since World War 11, was proclaimed by King Paul on

'January 8 when Ke dissolved | the Parliament which had | been elected only on November 3 last year. None of the parties represented in the 300-seat house had secured a “working majority,” and their adamant [ refusal to form a coalition made new elections inevitable. While their leaders have been braving the cold to visit the main urban and rural centres and address crowds, sometimes enthusiastic and at other times hostile, the candidates of the three parties have made little effort to woo the voters in their own constituencies. Bonus Demanded In Athens and Salonica. the two principal centres, candidates seeking election have submerged the voters with propaganda, leaflets and lists sent through the post. The weight of this extra mail became so great that the Post Office staff have been demanding an extra bonus for handling it They even went on strike for 48 hours when their claim was not satisfied. The reason for the wide

I use of the Post Office as an [election medium is the fact ! that most of the candidates I had already been returned as deputies in the November election and still enjoy the [ privilege of the free use of post and telegraph facilities. A Suspicious Case Post office staff denounced one candidate, a former deputy, for having sent 50,000 telegrams to his "friends." Electors will vote in 11.576 polling stations. The number of polling stations has been increased by 2500 for this election. Serious incidents occurred outside polling stations last November when hundreds of voters, mainly women, had to queue for hours waiting their turn to vote. Booth Limit On February 16. the number of voters at each polling station in the capital will be limited to 500. It has been recokoned, however, that even if it takes only three minutes for each of them to record their vote, it could require 24 hours for all the registered voters to do so. This is a matter of serious concern for the caretaker cabinet. Bitter cold, snow and rain in the countryside may also make it difficult for outlying farmers to reach the polling stations. Some observers have noted that this time the caretaker government has not publicised in broadcasts and the press, the penalties provided by the law for voters who fail to record their votes. Non-Vote Penalty A voter can be deprived of his (or her) passport, car licence and other facilities if his voting booklet has not been stamped by the judicial representative at the polling stations. Some experts predict that in the absence of warnings and in view of winter conditions abstentions may be more numerous than the 18 per cent registered in the November election.