East Germans go to polling booths

Press, 19 October 1976, Page 9

East Germans go to polling booths

NZPA-Reuter East Berlin East Germans turned out in force to go to the polling stations yesterday, and. as expected, they voted overwhelmingly for the official Communist-approved candidates for a new' Volkskammer and East Berlin City Council. Although Parliament is merely a rubber-stamp body for approving the decisions of the party, Western political observers had been watching for any slight drop in the tufn-out, or vote, as a possible indication of discontent. But, according to provisional final results, 98.58 per cent of East Germans voted — slightly more than the figure of 98.48 per cent at the last elections, in 1971. Of those who voted yesterday. 99 86 per cent backed the

official nominees, the only candidates, compared with 99.85 per cent last time. In the elections for the East Berlin City Council — which later will choose 66 further deputies to the national Parliament of 500 seats — 97.87 per cent of the electorate turned out, compared with the 1971 figure of 96.93 per cent.

.More than half the 12million electorate had appeared at the polling stations within three hours of the 7 a.m. opening, and by midday more than 80 per cent had voted.

The 434 Parliamentary deputies included the Communist Party leader, Mr Erich Honecker, the Head of State, Mr Willi Stoph. and the Prime Minister, Mr Horst Smdermann.