ROYALISTS’ NARROW LEAD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26117, 2 April 1946, Page 5

ROYALISTS’ NARROW LEAD

OBSERVERS SURPRISED

LONDON, Mar. 31

The first 14 election results from Athens show that the Royalists (Poptilists) have a bare lead over the combination of Liberals and National Unionists. Although this cannot be regarded as an indication of the final result, observers are surprised, as the Populists were expected to sweep Athens.

Voting in the Piraeus was heavier than expected, only 30 per cent, abstaining. Polling was very heavy in the Royalists’ stronghold of Pelopennesus and moderate at Salonika, where the E.A.M. is fairjy strong, and low in the Lamia district, which was an E.L.A.S fortress area during the civil war. „ , The Ministry of Public Order announced that two persons were lulled in a clash between supporters of the Right and Left at Meligala. The notorious outlaw, Manganas, leader ot the Royalist organisation, is reported to have appeared at the head of 25 men and to have seized the corpses from the police and to have carried them off to the hills. The Associated Press correspondent says that the incident gives some indication of the conditions under which the elections are being held, at least in the Peloponnesus. Other correspondents, however, are unanimous that the amount of terrorism prevailing has been exaggerated. Polling was due to end at sunset, but was prolonged for three hours throughout the country by the Minister of the Interior. The reason given was “ a last-minute influx ol voters,” but the Associated Press suggests it was because a large number of voters were afraid of reprisals if seen voting in the daytime.