THE GREEK ELECTIONS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26114, 29 March 1946, Page 4

THE GREEK ELECTIONS

The Greek elections are to be held on Sunday. Owing to the decision of the Left Wing parties to boycott the polls, it is already evident that the result cannot be completely satisfactory. It has been the hope of Great Britain that when the elections were held they would be fair and free, but no sooner had Greece been liberated than it became apparent that a section of the people was interested only in an attempt to substitute the prewar dictatorship for a -dictatorship of another kind. A determined effort was made by this section to exploit the national disorganisation and to effect a political coup. Military action had in consequence to be taken by the British forces in occupation to prevent this. When order was partly restored a Regency was established under Archbishop Damaskinos, and a temporary Government was set up. The Left Wing parties were, however, not alone in their disruptive tactics. There were also extreme Royalist organisations which operated illegally with armed forces. Between these opposing poles of political action there was no great central body of opinion to give stability to the State, and the lot of Greece in the past year has been an unhappy one. There could be no hope of electing a democratic Government while armed intolerance stalked the country, but until such a Government was elected there could be no return to order and progress. The British occupation troops, therefore, remained at their posts at the invitation of the Greek Government—a course of action '* which has been morally justified before the Security .Council of the United Nations—and the decision was taken to proceed with the election. It was felt that a postponement of the event, in concession to the clamouring of the Leftists, would offer no hope of an improvement in the general’ situation and on the other hand it might lead to an increase in tension throughout the country* But it was evident that the reconstruction of the nation could not be delayed until after the elections, and early this year a delegation of Greek Ministers visited London to solicit assistance. Under the agreement which was then reached the British Government undertook to grant Greece a credit of £ 10,000,000 for currency reform and at the same time waived the war debt of £46,000,000. Supplies of consumer goods and industrial material were also arranged. In return the Greek Government agreed to carry out a drastic programme of retrenchment including the reduction of unproductive expenditure, an increase in taxation, a readjustment and stabilisation of ' wages, and price control. Such a programme could only be carried through by a Government which was supported by a majority of the people, and this has provided a further reason for the holding of the elections even under the unsatisfactory conditions which prevail.