10 MAY 1935, Page 2

Jugoslav Elections The Jugoslav General Election has been conducted in

such a manner as to show that the Council of Regency has no respect whatever for democratic procedure. Before the election the Opposition, whose head is the Croat leader, Dr. Matchek, had few opportunities of stating their eases, the party of the Prime Minister, M. Jevtitch, con- trolling the machinery of propaganda. Hence the expression the "deaf and dumb election." During the proceedings Government supporters controlled the polling- booths, where voting was by open ballot. After the pol- ling, the electoral law intervened to deprive the Opposition. of scats which they had fairly won. In these circum- stances it is surprising that the unified Opposition list „ should have been credited with as many votes as 983,248 against the 1,738,390 credited to the Prime Minister. The election has been a farce, and shows two things : that in Jugoslavia democracy is only a transparent farce ; and that the real weight of opinion on the Opposition side is even more formidable than had been supposed. * *