FATE OF MINISTERS

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

FATE OF MINISTERS

SEVERAL DEFEATED M. SOFOULIS RETURNED (Rec. 0.30 a.m.) LONDON, Apl. 1. The results of the Greek elections to date- are regarded as indicating that the Royalists failed to sweep the country, as expected, says Reuter’s Athens correspondent. Although it is clear that the largest number of votes were cast for them, they will probably not have an absolute majority. It is argued that if this trend is borne out the Royalists will be unable to regard the election as a result in favour of King George. The latest results in Athens indicate that the Populists are just leading the Liberals and Nationalists together. The extremist group has so far polled the fewest votes of the Royalist wing, while followers of the foi'mer Right Wing guerrilla leader, General Zervas, have up to the present received only

slightly more. The masses of the Greek people considered the election primarily as, first, a vote for or against the King’s return and, secondly, for or against the retention of British troops. All the members of the Sofoulis Cabinet were defeated except M. Sofoulis himself, the Minister of Justice, M. Mavros, the Minister of Rehabilitation, M. Krassathakis, and the Governor-General of Crete. M. Volouthakis.

Of a total of 35,000 registered voters in the 50 electoral districts of Athens, 23,376 went to the polls, and of these 11,711 voted for the Populist Party, 5477 for the Papandreou Party, and 4536 for the Liberal Party. The proportion of electors who voted in 14 Greek towns was 73 per cent.

The Daily Herald’s Athens correspondent, after a day-long tour of Athens and the surrounding towns and villages, reported that the voting was conducted fairly, secretly, and peacefully.