ITALY’S POLITICS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26746, 15 April 1948, Page 5

ITALY’S POLITICS

ELECTIONS ON SUNDAY

VIGOROUS CAMPAIGN NEARS CLIMAX STRAIGHT-OUT CONTEST N.Z.P.A.—Reuter—Copyright Rec. 9.30 p.m. ROME, Apl. 14. With four days to go before the first Italian general elections for 25 years, the Italian political parties are busy splashing Rome’s roads and pavements with their slogans and parly emblems. There are 356 political parties or groups on the election lists an:! for the benefit of illiterates each is registering its emblem. Only 12 political groups, however, have any importance and the elections will be ar; almost straight fight between Signor de Gasperi’s Christian Democrats and the Communist-led Popular Front. The Christian Democrats’ emblem is a crusader’s shield with the word “ Libertas.” The Communists’ emblem is the head of Garibaldi, the Italian liberator. Illiterate voters wiii mark a cross over the party emblem. Altogether 28,900,000 men and women over 21 are entitled to vote for 574 lower chamber deputies. In addition about 25,000,000 people aged over 25 are entitled to vote for 237 senators. The total number of senators, however, is 343 because 106 have seats granted automatically mainly as a reward for opposition to Fascism. The Prime Minister, Signor Alcido de Gasperi, told a meeting at Milan that he held a secret document detailing a Communist plan involving the

creation of disorders in countries due to benefit from the Marshall Plan. He said the document revealed a plan evolved at a meeting in Bialystok. Poland, between one of the Italian Communist leaders, Signor Luigi Longo, and the Soviet representative, Mr Andfei Zhdanov. The Italian Communist leader. Signor Palmiro Togliatti, over the Rome radio, attacked the Marshall Plan. He asked if Signor de Gasper! would give the same pledge as the Communists —to refuse to allow Italy to adhere to any bloc which would draw her into a new war.