GENERAL ELECTION IN POLAND

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLV, Issue 21189, 9 November 1938, Page 7

GENERAL ELECTION IN POLAND

, Success of Leading Party Short Shrift for Rival Groups Failure of Opposition Boycott United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright (Received November 8, 5.5 p.m.) WARSAW, November 8. In the general election —the second under the constitution of 1935 —the national unity camp, the Government’s principal supporters gained 170 of 208 seats in the Lower House. The Jews won five seats, Ukranians several and the Germans none. The Prime Minister (M. Siawoj Skladowski), the Vice-Premier (M. Kwiatowski). and the party chief (General Skworczinski) have been reelected. The Prime Minister declares that he is satisfied with the result. Colonel Sl.’.wek, a former Speaker, lost his seat. General Zelifigowski, the captor of Vilna in .1.919. defeated General Skwarszynski by 2000 votes. AH women candidates were defeated, feated. National Unity Many speeches have been made by Government and Army leaders during the past ten days <?n the theme of national unity and strengthening to the utmost the defensive forces of the nation. The newspapers have not yet been allowed to publish a report of the congress, but it is understood that the Peasant Party will not return to Parliamentary activity until the present electoral laws, enacted in 1935, soon after the death of Marshal Pilsudski, are revised. When President Moscicki dissolved Parliament on September 13 he stated that he would expect the next Parliament to enact new electoral laws. The view of all the Opposition forces, including even a majority of the Ukranians and the Jews, appears to be that they should see how far the Government is prepared to go in “liberalising” the electoral system before they take part in Parliamentary elections. Party Not Tolerated Hie Government of Poland may decide to dissolve all political parties, stated the Warsaw correspondent of “The Daily Telegraph” last month. If this is done it will be the Government’s answer to the decision reached late last night at a Peasant Party Congress in Warsaw to boycott the elections for a new Sejm and Senate. About six hundred peasant delegates from all parts of Poland attended the congress. The National Democratic Party—the Right Opposition—and the Polish Socialist Party decided to boycott the elections, as they did on the occasion of the last general election in September, 1935.