CLEAR-CUT WIN FOR GOVERNMENT IN FRENCH ELECTIONS

Grey River Argus, 24 March 1949, Page 3

CLEAR-CUT WIN FOR GOVERNMENT IN FRENCH ELECTIONS

LONDON, March 22.

The complete official returns today for the French departmental elections last Sunday gave a clearcut victory to Premier Henri Queuille’s “third force” Government over the Communists and de Gaullists, says Reuter’s Paris correspondent. The Ministry of the Interior’s final figures gave de Gaulle’s Rally of the French People 25.3 per cent, and the Communists 23.5 per cent, of the votes cast.

The Government is expected to conrolidafe its electoral gain next Sunday in -the elections in 785 districts where no candidates received an absolute majority. Observers noted three main points about the elections—the large number of abstentions, the drop in the Communist vote and the large number of second ballots necessary (about 50 pep cent.'.

The main groups, according to the official figures, elected the following number of councillors:— Communists 17 Socialists 108 Radical Socialists 126 Popular Republicans 36 Independent Radicals and Independent Republicans ... 185 De Gaullists 170

The following figures which are approximate, show the occupants of the seats before the election was held: Socialists 430: Radicals and Left Independents 347; Communists 182; French People’s Rally 156:' M.R.P. 121. Conservatives also held about 120 seats.