Balaguer Headed For Election Win

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31077, 4 June 1966, Page 17

Balaguer Headed For Election Win

(N.Z.P.A. Reuter—Copyright)

SANTO DOMINGO, June 3.

Tension mounted in the Dominican Republic today as Dr. Joaquin Balaguer, leader of the Rightist Reformist Party, headed for victory in the Presidential elections.

Heavily-armed police fired one shot and wielded rifle butts to disperse hundreds of demonstrators in Santo Domingo late last night when unofficial election figures gave Dr. Balaguer a 150,575-vote lead over his Left-wing rival. Professor Juan Bosch.

Latest unofficial results in

the election—aimed at restoring peace to the country after 13 months of bloodshed and political unrest—gave the Reformist Party 645,375 votes and Professor Bosch’s Dominican Revolutionary Party 422,576 votes. Although the urban working class has largely remained loyal to Professor Bosch, the peasants in the interior are sweeping Dr. Balaguer to power.

Professor Bosch, who was elected head of state in December, 1962, but deposed by a military junta 10 months later, last night appealed to his supporters to remain calm and not allow themselves to be provoked into violence. The election, only the second free one in 40 years, was promised by the provisional President (Mr Hector Garcia-Godoy) who took over the Government after a civil war last year set off by a revolt to restore Professor Bosch as President.