SOUTH AFRICAN ELECTIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18706, 12 May 1924, Page 8

SOUTH AFRICAN ELECTIONS.

»' . • ;■ . Dissolution of the South African Parliament and announcement of the date of a general election signify a mere formality. Prorogation occurred early in April, with; an appeal to the country a certainty. The election campaign has been; in full force for some weeks. The decision to dissolve came as the result of a by-election at Wakkerstroom. The South African Party there\lqßt a seat to the Nationalists, This reduced the majority of General Smuts in the House of Assembly to eight in a chamber ■of -134 .members.. This ! would, of course, have been adequate for ordinary purposes, but General Smuts declared that it was not sufficient to have a Parliamentary majority. He must 'be assured of the confidence of the people, ji There- ; fore, 'he announced a dissolution, a decision received jubilantly by his ; opponents. : The political situation in the Union is not very clean-cut. ilt is impossible to estimate the chances ,of any section. ~ General Smuts and his South African Party are opposed by the » NationalistLabour coalition, which fought the; Wakkerstroom . by-election. It is a; strange alliance. The Nationalists find their . support largely among the back-veldt farmers, who* deeply religious and intensely conservative in ; outlook, have no natural affinity ; with 1 , imodtern : | Socialism, which is | . strongly represented in the Labour \ Party. '.£ There was recently a serious : movement . among a ; section ' of' the -Nationalists to ; abandon the pact, in its: place making working arrangement with the South African Party. ; The dissolution came, however, before it could be advanced very far. Therefore Nationalists and Labour 1 will go to the polls in alliance. Their principal point jin common is implacable hostility to the present Government. ..Whether';.that„ as a motive force, will carry them to success is the most interesting question for decision on polling ; day, June 17. ,_,..,,.,,,, v ',■. ~. . ! ; ;