Evening star., 1950-03-07
Greek Rightists
Lead in Vote, but
FaceCabinetBdr
TsoIdoris Expected
To Fail in Attempt
To Form Government
By the Associated Press

ATHENS, Mar. 7.-Returns in
Greece's parliamentary elections
spurred predictions today that
Constantin Tsaldaris' dominant
Populist (RoyalisD Party would
be left out of the Greek govern
ment to emerge finally from the
balloting.
Late returns from the nations
146,000 soldiers in Sundays elec-
ton gave the Conservative Popu-
lists a narrow lead over the left
of-center National Progressive
Union of Gen. Nicholas Plastiras.
Political experts say King Paul
will give the mandate to form a
government to the party which
gains most parliamentary seats.
However. Mr. sTsaldaris was
viewed as not able to form a last
ing government because his
strength in Parliament could not
survive even a tolerant vote of
confidence.
Right Coalition Unlikely.
Mr.. Tsaldaris' best chances lay
in a coalition with the right wing
parties. but these. under Greece's
complicated proportional repre-
sentation system. would add only
a score or so seats, which would
not be enough to cushion the
government against opposition at
tack.
Under such conditions Mr.. Tsal-
daris could either return the man
date or go before the new Parlia-
ment with a rightist cabinet
March 80 and be rejected there
by the combined opposition. Then
the King would be obliged to give
the mandate to the second largest
group-Gen. Plastiras' party. A
new patchwork coalition. 18th
since the wars end, would be
formed.
II Gen. Plastiras could persuade
the Liberal Party leader. So
phocles Venizelos, to work with
him, he could form a center gov
ernment. Many say this is the
only solution to the current Greek
political tangle. In this case Mr..
Tsaldaris' party would lead the
opposition.
The Populises under Mr.. Tsal-
daris, now deputy premier and
foreign minister, had expected an
easy victory in Sundays elections,
but the newly organized National
Progressives gave them a hot
race, keeping the royalists in sec
ond place until more than 80 per
cent of the vote had been counted.
Returns of 1892 Precincts.
Returns from 1922 of the 1000
precincts as reported by the Min
lister of Interior:
Populists, 261,697.
National Progressive Union,
249, ,208.
Liberals, 239.1l9.
Social Democrats, 1857.
Republican front (extreme LETT
ISL, ,119.
Independent political front,
1O8,413.
The remainder of the popular
vote was split up among splinter
parties.
There are more than 2,700 can
didates in the race for $50 seats
in Parliament. The voting differs
from United States congressional
election in that proportional rep
resentation decides the seating.
Any party or person receiving
5000 votes or more is entitled to
one seat in Parliament. Thus a
number of the splinter parties will
win seats regardless of their low
standing in the popular vote. On
the direct vote, 214 members of
Parliament are selected by what is
called first scrutiny" The re-
manning 36 seats are to be allo-
Gated later. also on a proportional
representation basis.
Most surprising feature of the
elections. held only a few months
after the army's hard-fought civil
war victory over the Communist
led guerillas. was the strength
shown by leftist parties. Conserv-
atives said the Communists, whose
party is outlawed, cast their votes
for Gen. Plastiras and the Re-
publican Front headed by former
Foreign Minister John Sophian-
Ono,Iloc